A fire at a warehouse complex in the village of Broechem, near Ranst (Antwerp Province) has released asbestos in the air within a 1km radius of the site. A nearby asylum has been evacuated.
Asbestos released into the air during as fire guts warehouse complex in Ranst
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The fire broke out on Wednesday evening. At around 8:10pm the Rand Fire Service received reports of a large and intense fire that was raging at a warehouse on the Van Den Nestlaan in Broechem, a village that is part of the municipality of Ranst. Firefighters from Ranst, Wommelgem, Schoten, Edegem and Zandhoven fire stations were dispatched to tackle the blaze.
On Thursday morning the burning embers of what was left of the warehouses were still being extinguished. The cause of the fire is still unclear. A total of 4 warehouses were gutted in the blaze. The warehouses are owned by the municipal authority in Ranst and are used by various local not-for-profit associations.
These include vzw Wereld-Delen that uses one of the warehouses to store second-hand goods that have been donated. All this material has been lost in the fire. One firefighter sustained slight burns and a second required treatment for smoke inhalation. A cloud of smoke from the fire could be seen over a wide area.
Asbestos
Tests carried out on Thursday morning show that asbestos particles from the roof of the warehouses have been released into the air within a 1km radius. The Mayor of Ranst Johan De Ryck (Flemish nationalist) says that fortunately the rain that fell during Wednesday night has served to wash the asbestos particles out of the air. Those that live within a 1km radius of the fire site are advised to wash any vegetables they pick from their gardens before eating them.
Asylum centre evacuated
A nearby asylum centre has been evacuated. 435 men, women and children that were staying at the centre have been taken to a local community centre. They should be able to return to the asylum centre later today.