The fire that broke out on the second floor of the Oxy Tower on the De Brouckèreplein in central Brussels has claimed six lives. The Brussels Labour Inspectorate was first to announce 6 construction workers were missing. It took some considerable effort to recover six bodies from a lift shaft on Tuesday afternoon. A thorough renovation programme is underway at the building. Some 250 construction workers were on site.
From the first and second floors the fire quickly spread to the lift shaft. Construction workers were evacuated, including one person who had sustained burns, Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the Brussels Fire Brigade, said earlier. Several bodies have meanwhile been located in the shaft shaft. 6 people had been reported missing.
"These are workers whom we know were working, but with whom we have been unable to make contact," Brecht Speybrouck, spokesperson for the Brussels Labour Inspectorate, said Tuesday afternoon.
“Two lifts are stuck in two lift shafts. The fire brigade has now managed to make a small opening in one of those lifts, and we have found several victims inside. It is not yet clear exactly how many people. It may be all six of the missing persons, but there may also be people in the other lift, or elsewhere.”
The fire broke out on the second floor of the building and spread. "The fire on the first and second floors was quickly brought under control," Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the Brussels Fire Brigade, told Brussels media outlet Bruzz. "However, flames spread into the lift shaft, causing the fire to spread to level -2. This led to a fierce blaze that was brought under control at around 9 o’clock."
Workers were evacuated from the building, including two with burns. The latter have been taken to the military hospital in Neder-over-Heembeek (City of Brussels). Fire-fighters and civil protection officers are searching the building for those missing.
Construction workers are being taken care of in Brucity’s staff canteen at the request of the Mayor of Brussels. The Red Cross is on site to provide psychosocial support. In addition to the internal emergency plan, a Medical Intervention Plan has also been activated.
The Labour Inspectorate reported around midday that a criminal investigation had been launched. “We have now found several bodies in the lift shafts. It is difficult to estimate exactly how many people are involved. At present, six people are still missing.”
By evening six bodies had been recovered.
The cause of the fire is not yet clear. In the course of the afternoon PM De Wever accompanied king Filip to the scene of the blaze in the Brussels downtown (pictured top).
The OXY building houses apartments, restaurants and a rooftop bar.