Several dead and missing in Brussels building fire

A fire that erupted in a building undergoing renovation in central Brussels has resulted in multiple deaths and left at least six people missing. The victims are believed to have been trapped inside one of the building's elevators, located near the popular Brouckère square.

The blaze began early in the morning in the OXY building, a former administrative center, for reasons that are still unknown. According to the newspaper Le Soir, the initial fire on the second floor was small and was extinguished. However, flames later spread through the elevator shaft, causing a second fire that was also brought under control.

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The firefighters managed to find a small opening in one of those elevators and there we discovered several victims.

Efforts are currently concentrated on finding the six missing individuals. Officials cited by Le Soir suggested that they might be trapped in another elevator, which firefighters have not yet been able to access. Brecht Speybrouck, a spokesperson for the Brussels Labor Prosecutor's Office, stated, "The firefighters managed to find a small opening in one of those elevators and there we discovered several victims." He cautioned that the exact number of people involved is still unclear, and there could be more individuals in the other elevator or elsewhere.

Two other people were taken to the hospital with burns, and a firefighter received on-site treatment for heatstroke. The building was being converted into apartments and leisure spaces, meaning numerous workers were present at the time of the incident. Most were evacuated before the fire spread through the elevators.

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We still do not know exactly how many people it is. Perhaps there are six missing, but it is also possible that there are more people in the other elevator or somewhere else.