Firefighters in Brussels rescued an elderly couple from a fire in their apartment on Rue Petit-Berchem in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe on Saturday evening.
The fire broke out around 18:00 in a third-floor apartment of a five-storey building, producing a lot of smoke. Approximately 40 residents evacuated the building spontaneously and were safe before the firefighters arrived.
Only the elderly couple in the affected apartment were unable to exit on their own, said Walter Derieuw, Brussels Fire Department spokesperson. The fire started in the apartment’s laundry room and may have involved a washing machine or a dryer, although the exact cause remains undetermined.
After inspecting and ventilating the building, the residents were allowed back into their apartments, except for the elderly couple whose home was deemed uninhabitable. The couple will be temporarily housed by neighbours. The apartment directly below also suffered extensive water damage during the firefighting efforts.
