Three people have been injured in a fire on an industrial estate in Heist-op-den-Berg (Antwerp Province). The fire broke out on early Tuesday morning at the De Neef Chemical site. The fire has since been brought under control.
The fire broke started at 5.30am De Neef Chemical Processing, a company located on the Heist-op-den-Berg industrial estate. The local Mayor Jan Moons (nationalist) told VRT News "The fire is thought to have started in an acetone storage warehouse".
The fire service deployed several fire engines to the scene and was able to contain the fire within a few hours. Local residents are advised to keep their windows and doors closed, as there is still a lot of smoke. The clean-up operation at the site is expected to take some time.
At the time the fire broke out, several workers were on site. Ive Van den Eynde of the Rivierenland fire service "Three victims were taken to hospital with burns to their faces and hands. The other workers were evacuated".
The exact cause of the fire is not yet known. "We have been told that workers at the site were carrying out a cleaning process and that something went wrong". On social media, local residents said that they heard a bang. Flames and smoke were visible from a distance.
