A large fire broke out in the Centre Monnaie in the heart of Brussels on Tuesday morning. Some workers were trapped on the roof of the site but have since been rescued.
Smoke was seen billowing from the well-known building in the city centre of Brussels, an iconic cross-shaped building overlooking Place de la Monnaie and Place De Brouckère. Walter Durieuw, the spokesperson for the Brussels fire brigade, confirmed that firefighters were called to put out on the top floors of the building.
"An old ventilation unit is on fire," he said. "The workers and crane operator have been brought to safety," he added at around 11:00. Helicopters were dispatched to rescue workers trapped on the roof of the site, La Libre reported. Fortunately, there are no injuries and none of the people present are suffering from smoke inhalation.
Credit: Walter Derieuw/ Brussels Fire Brigade
The fire has since been brought under control, but the fire brigade is still in the process of further extinguishing it. The fire brigade's 64-metre long ladder (the longest in Europe) was also deployed for the operation.
Derieuw stressed that the part of the building affected by the fire had already been stripped of its asbestos, which slightly decreased the public health risk of the fire.
Until the end of 2022, the building housed the administrative services of the City of Brussels and the headquarters of Bpost.
The building is still under renovation and will become the Oxy building once completed, housing offices, a 316-room hotel, 112 homes spread over 12,000 m², and a rooftop with an open-air terrace.
Credit: Walter Derieuw/ Brussels Fire Brigade
