A fire has gutted retail premises in the West Flemish city of Bruges. The fire broke out at around 4:30am on Monday on the Koningin Astridlaan in the Sint-Michiels area of the city. The Koningin Astridlaan was closed in both directions and police advised motorists to avoid the area between the Torhoutse Steenweg and the Expressway. Local residents were advised to keep their windows and doors closed.
The fire started at around 4:30am at the Sleeplife bed store. The Mayor of Bruges Dirk De fauw (Christian democrat) told VRT News that “The building was totally destroyed, but fortunately no one was injured.
“Fortunately, the fire was early in the morning and it was still cold outside so most people were asleep with their windows closed, because we fear that toxic substances might have been released into the air”.