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🇧🇪 Belgium /Disasters & Emergencies

Four Victims of Brussels Fire Worked for Alken Metal Company

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Four of the six victims killed in a fire at the Oxy building worked for a metal company in Alken, Belgium.
  • The victims included one of the company's managers and three employees.
  • The fire, which killed six people and injured two others, is under investigation.

Four of the six individuals who perished in a fire at the Oxy building in Brussels were employees of a metal company based in Alken, Limburg.

The victims worked for On Time Metalworks (OTM) in Alken. The company's mayor confirmed that the four deceased were the entire external service team of the firm, which employs a total of eight people. The loss has deeply affected the company, with the mayor stating, "We will support them. This is a very heavy blow. They are deeply devastated, but they will continue with their company." A condolence register will be opened at the town hall.

The fire claimed a total of six lives, five Belgian nationals and one Romanian citizen. Their bodies were discovered in a lift shaft, and the lift cable is believed to have snapped. The cause and circumstances of the fire are still under investigation.

Two other workers sustained severe burns and were transported to the military hospital in Neder-over-Heembeek. As of the morning of the report, they remained in critical condition.

We will support them. This is a very heavy blow. They are deeply devastated, but they will continue with their company.

— Mayor Marc PenxtenThe mayor of Alken commented on the impact of the fire victims' deaths on the local metal company.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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