One woman has been seriously injured and four animals have died following a fire in a flat of a 12-storey building in Anderlecht, the Brussels fire brigade reported on Wednesday morning.
The fire brigade responded to a fire in a flat on the fourth floor of the large apartment complex on Avenue Victor Olivier in the Brussels commune of Anderlecht at around 02:10 on Wednesday morning. Upon the arrival of the firefighters, heavy smoke was already developing, requiring the firefighters to enter the flat from outside via a ladder.
"They then tackled the fire from inside after the armoured door was opened," spokesperson Walter Derieuw said. "During the Search and Rescue operation, we found an unconscious person who was evacuated from the bedroom. Medical teams resuscitated her on site."
The victim was then intubated before being transferred to hospital. "Her condition was worrying," Derieuw said. One rabbit and three cats died in the fire.
The Brussels Midi police zone set up a security perimeter and several other flats in the building were partially evacuated during the operation. The police were also responsible for receiving and accompanying the evacuees.
The people who were evacuated were examined by medical teams, but no further hospitalisation was required. They were then able to return to their homes after ventilation and carbon monoxide checks. The fire's cause is still to be determined.
