A fire broke out in Hotel Galia, a squatted building on the Place du Jeu de Balle in Brussels city centre, on Tuesday afternoon. A number of refugees are living in the former hotel, the Brussels fire brigade confirmed.
The fire broke out on the third floor and in the attic of the building, spokesperson Walter Derieuw said. Dozens of people escaped the building.
“It was a squat,” he said. "Dozens of people were able to get to safety, but three people had to be rescued from the building by our teams. Three people were taken to hospital and three others were treated on site."
The medical intervention plan was announced and the Red Cross set up a medical post, but the intervention plan has already been lifted in the meantime and the fire is under control.
The cause of the fire is still unclear. An expert from the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office will come to the scene to find out.
Credit: Brussels Fire Brigade
