A devastating fire broke out on Tuesday at an under-construction high-rise development in central Brussels, claiming multiple lives and triggering an urgent, challenging search mission for at least six missing people, local authorities confirmed this week.
The blaze erupted at the Oxy Tower, a mixed-use development project located just 500 meters from Brussels’ iconic central Grand Place, which is set to open with residential apartments, a hotel, and multiple food and beverage venues once completed. While emergency responders managed to extinguish the fire relatively quickly, post-blaze assessments revealed the fire had spread through the site’s lift shafts, leaving two construction elevators trapped mid-shift by debris and structural damage.
Brecht Speybrouck, spokesperson for the Brussels Labour Prosecutor’s Office, told reporters that first responders managed to pry open one of the stuck elevators, and discovered multiple fatalities inside. As of the latest updates, the exact number of victims remains unconfirmed, with investigators warning that the six reported missing people could be among those recovered, or additional victims may remain trapped in the second stuck elevator or other parts of the damaged construction site.
“Due to heavy debris scattered throughout the lift shafts and the compromised structure of the building, working conditions for search and recovery teams are extremely difficult,” Speybrouck noted in an update, adding that full recovery operations are expected to extend over several additional hours. Investigators have not yet determined what caused the fire, and a full official investigation is now underway.
As the operation continued, two injured workers with severe burns have already been transported to local hospitals for urgent care, while one firefighter received on-site medical treatment after suffering from heat exposure during the response. Brussels Mayor Philippe Close publicly praised the work of emergency responders, noting they had “done an exceptional job” operating under “particularly difficult circumstances.”
By the afternoon, Belgium’s senior political and royal leadership arrived at the scene to oversee the response and meet with first responders, according to Belgian public broadcaster RTBF. Prime Minister Bart De Wever and King Philippe of the Belgians joined local officials on site to receive briefings on the fire and ongoing search efforts.
Local residents and construction industry groups have already called for a full safety review of active construction sites across the Brussels region, as investigators work to piece together what led to the deadly blaze and identify all of the victims.