A fire broke out at a building under construction in Brussels, Belgium. Preliminary inspections found several bodies inside the elevator shaft, with authorities currently recovering the remains.
Foreign news agencies reported a fire at the Oxy Tower, a building under construction in central Brussels, the capital of Belgium, on Tuesday, 14 Jul 2026. At least six people were reported missing in the incident.
Brecht Speybrouck, spokesperson for the Brussels Labor Prosecutor's Office, stated that firefighters quickly brought the fire under control. However, upon entering the building, they found the fire had spread to the elevator shaft, where two elevators were stuck. Officials pried open one elevator door and found multiple deceased individuals, though the exact number remains unknown.
"The deceased may be the six missing persons reported earlier, but it is also possible there are additional fatalities in the other elevator or elsewhere in the building," he said. He added that teams are preparing to recover the bodies from the elevator, and if those remains are not all the missing six, officials will need to search the other elevator as well.
"Due to accumulated debris and damage, working conditions are very difficult," Speybrouck added. "Therefore, the recovery operation will require several more hours."
Local media reported that two people have been hospitalized with severe burn injuries, while one firefighter received on-site first aid after being exposed to extreme heat.
Belgian news outlet RTBF reported that Prime Minister Bart De Wever and King Philippe visited the scene in the afternoon to closely monitor the situation.
The Oxy Tower remains under construction and is planned to serve as residences, a hotel, restaurants, and bars in the future. The building is located just 500 meters from Grand Place, the central square of Brussels.
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Source:bbc