Two people have been hospitalised following a fire in an apartment building in the Brussels municipality of Ganshoren early Saturday morning, according to the Brussels fire brigade.
One person suffered from smoke inhalation, while another was taken to hospital as a precaution due to an existing medical condition. The fire has been fully extinguished, authorities confirmed.
The blaze broke out on the sixth floor of a 21-storey building on Negen Provincieslaan. Emergency services responded swiftly, with three fire engines, two ladder trucks, two command vehicles, multiple ambulances, and two medical emergency teams deployed to the scene.
Local police from the Brussels West zone set up a safety perimeter to allow rescue workers to carry out their operations.
Though firefighters quickly brought the flames under control, the damaged flat has been declared temporarily uninhabitable. Utility provider Sibelga has disconnected the flat’s water, gas, and electricity.
“The residents are being cared for by family,” said fire brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw.
The building is currently being ventilated and checked for carbon monoxide. The fire was determined to have started accidentally.
