A fire raged in a squat on Rue Saint-Jean in Brussels city centre in the early hours of Monday morning; nine people were affected by the smoke and had to be transferred to hospital.
The Brussels fire brigade responded to a fire in a squatted four-storey building at around 05:10 on Monday morning. "The fire was fully developed on the ground floor when we arrived," said spokesperson Walter Derieuw.
Two people were evacuated via a ladder on the front façade, one person via the stairs and another one via a flat roof at the back. The adjoining houses were also evacuated.
"A total of nine people, including five police officers, were transferred to hospital due to smoke inhalation," Derieuw said. One also suffered burn wounds.
The Brussels-Capitale/Ixelles police zone had set up a security perimeter and also carried out the evacuations. "The origin of the fire has yet to be determined. The house has been completely destroyed, and the two neighbouring houses are temporarily uninhabitable pending verification of stability by a city engineer," he added.
"The residents are being looked after by the Red Cross and the city services."
Credit: Brussels fire service
Credit: Brussels fire service
