On July 14, 2026, a devastating fire broke out at the OXY tower construction site in central Brussels, killing six people who became trapped in a blocked elevator shaft. The blaze started on the second floor before spreading rapidly through the lift shafts. Emergency services evacuated 250 workers, while two individuals suffered severe burns. King Philippe and Prime Minister Bart De Wever visited the scene as recovery operations and a judicial investigation into the cause of the fire commenced.
OXY Tower construction site fire
- ▪A fire broke out on July 14, 2026, before 08:00 on the second floor of the OXY building under renovation in central Brussels
- ▪The initial fire on the lower floors was quickly contained, but flames spread into the elevator shafts, causing a second fire
Fatalities in lift shaft
- ▪Two people suffering from severe burns were taken to the military hospital in Neder-over-Heembeek, and one firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion
- ▪Six bodies were found and retrieved from a blocked elevator in a shaft at the OXY building following the fire
Emergency rescue operations
- ▪Emergency services used thermal cameras and sniffer dogs to search for victims in the blocked elevator shafts
- ▪Approximately 250 workers were present on the construction site and successfully evacuated when the fire broke out
Official site visits
- ▪Belgium's King Philippe and Prime Minister Bart De Wever toured the fire site together on the afternoon of July 14, 2026
- ▪Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin and Federal Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden expressed condolences and thanked emergency services on social media
Psychological support for workers
- ▪The Red Cross provided psychological support to the evacuated workers at the BruCity administrative centre
- ▪The City of Brussels opened the staff canteen at the neighbouring BruCity administrative centre to accommodate the evacuated workers
OXY renovation project background
- ▪The OXY complex, formerly known as Centre Monnaie, is a 63-metre tower built between 1968 and 1971 that previously housed administrative services and bpost
- ▪The OXY building has been undergoing redevelopment since 2024 by Immobel and Whitewood, with completion planned for late 2026 or 2027
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