Several people were found dead in a lift in the OXY Tower in central Brussels after fire broke out in the building on Tuesday, the Labour Division of the Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.
The exact number of fatalities is not yet known.
Six people are also missing and the search for them is underway. They may be in another lift, which the fire brigade has not yet been able to access, according to a spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Credit: Brussels Fire Brigade
The fire broke out on Tuesday morning on the second floor of the building. The fire had been extinguished, but flames had spread into the lift shaft, causing a fire inside it. That fire has since also been brought under control.
Two people suffering from burns had already been taken to the Military Hospital in Neder-over-Heembeek, and a firefighter suffering from heatstroke had to be treated at the scene.
The cause of the fire is yet to be established.
Workers from the OXY building site, who had been evacuated, were looked after in the staff canteen of the administrative centre of the City of Brussels, according to the Brussels Fire Brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw.
“Psychological support is being provided there by the Red Cross. In addition to the internal emergency plan, a medical response plan and a psychosocial support plan have also been put in place,” Derieuw added.
The OXY building houses flats, restaurants and a rooftop bar.
