FIRE AT BRUSSELS CONSTRUCTION SITE KILLS SEVERAL, SIX MISSING

Several people died in a fire at the Oxy tower, a building under construction in central Brussels, on Tuesday, according to local authorities. Firefighters discovered multiple victims in lift shafts where two lifts had become stuck during the blaze. Brecht Speybrouck, spokesperson for the Brussels Labour Prosecutor's Office, stated that the exact number of deaths remained unclear, with at least six people reported missing. He noted that victims could include the missing individuals, occupants of the second stuck lift, or people elsewhere in the building.

The cause of the fire has not been established. Firefighters brought the blaze under control relatively quickly, though it had spread through the lift shafts before being extinguished. Two people were taken to hospital with serious burns, and one firefighter received treatment at the scene after exposure to high temperatures. The Oxy tower, located 500 metres from the Grand Place in Brussels' city centre, is being developed as a mixed-use building intended to contain residential flats, a hotel, restaurants and bars.

Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close commended emergency services for their response in "particularly difficult circumstances". Prime Minister Bart De Wever attended the scene, and Philippe, King of the Belgians, was expected to visit later, according to Belgian media outlet RTBF. The incident occurred at a site in one of Europe's most prominent urban locations, within walking distance of the city's historic central square.