A fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at the so-called Schaerbeek squat currently being occupied by asylum seekers and members of the capital's homeless population. No one was seriously injured, according to the Brussels Fire Brigade.
The Brussels Fire Brigade was called out to the "Palais des droits" building in Schaerbeek after a fire broke out on the building's third floor, which authorities say they have since put out.
No serious injuries were reported and no one was taken to the hospital. However, "inhabitants on the other floors of the building refused to be evacuated, which has made it difficult for us to search for possible victims," said Walter Derieuw, a spokesperson for the fire brigade.
Initial suspicions suggest that a mattress caught fire "but that still needs to be investigated further," Derieuw specified.
This is the latest incident to occur at the so-called squat, which is currently struggling to deal with an influx of asylum seekers due to Belgium's ongoing reception crisis.
Living conditions in the building have been described as "appalling." In December, reports came out that 700 of the building's residents had been infected with various illnesses, with another inhabitant losing his life later that month following a drug overdose.
Nicole de Moor, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, indicated that she had spoken with the mayor of Schaerbeek and that all authorities will need to take responsibility for the present situation.
Translation of tweet: "Very concerned about the situation on Rue des Palais. I have called the mayor of Schaarbeek. Fire should be under control. In the past three weeks, Fedasil has removed 114 people with a right to reception from the premises. We will continue to do that, but everyone will have to take their responsibility."
De Moor's comments came a day after the mayor of Schaerbeek's cabinet criticised her for failing to assist the municipality in dealing with the squat. The mayor had reportedly requested that the number of asylum seekers residing building be determined by federal authorities, a request which had reportedly "fallen on deaf ears."
