Several found dead in lift shaft after fire in central Brussels building
A fire at a construction site in central Brussels has resulted in multiple deaths and injuries. Emergency services are currently searching the building's lift shafts where victims were discovered.
Why it matters
The incident highlights significant safety concerns in major urban construction projects and has drawn attention from high-level Belgian government officials.
Figure caption, Firefighters search lift shaft after deadly fire in Brussels construction site
Several people have died in a fire at a building under construction in Brussels on Tuesday, local authorities have said.
The cause of the fire at the Oxy tower in the centre of the city is unclear, with officials saying at least six people are missing.
While it was put out quickly, when firefighters entered the building they discovered it had spread to the lift shafts, where two lifts were stuck.
They were able to pry one open and found "several victims - we don't yet know exactly how many," said Brecht Speybrouck, spokesperson for the Brussels Labour Prosecutor's Office.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in