In Living tomorrow – the former House of the Future – in Vilvoorde, a 26-year-old cleaning lady was seriously injured on Wednesday afternoon after she fell 12 meters into an elevator shaft. She is in an artificial coma, her condition is said to be stable. Remarkably, the elevator in the innovation campus, which is only one year old, was only inspected on Tuesday.
The bizarre accident occurred around 2:30 PM in the brand new futuristic building of Living Tomorrow on the Indringingsweg. “The woman, who is part of the cleaning staff, got into the elevator backwards and it wasn’t there,” explains Frank Beliën, founder of Living Tomorrow. “So she fell from the third floor to the basement, 12 meters lower. In doing so, her cart with maintenance products that she was pulling also fell down.” It is unclear whether she got it full on her.
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“The woman was immediately given first aid by one of our staff members while waiting for the emergency services to arrive. Fortunately, she was still conscious and was even able to say something.”
The fire brigade’s special GRIMP team – for rescues at heights and depths – was called out but ultimately did not have to intervene.
Beliën does not understand how the accident could have happened. “The elevator is brand new and was only inspected on Tuesday. The inspection report was also approved. This needs to be investigated as soon as possible.”
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Aurélie F., 26, was employed by Living Tomorrow through an employment agency. She was taken to the UZ Brussels with serious injuries. There she is in an artificial coma in intensive care. Her condition is currently stable.Despite the heavy fall, she would not have suffered any brain damage or fractures in her neck or spine,” says Beliën hopefully. “Hopefully there will be more positive news tomorrow. It is already a miracle that she survived. If she pulls through – and we sincerely hope so – we will organize a party for her.”
The Halle-Vilvoorde Labor Auditor’s Office is investigating the accident.
Living Tomorrow’s new innovation campus, a striking 50-meter-high blue tower, opened its doors to the general public about a year ago. The campus showcases innovations that could be part of everyday and working life in the future: from robot dogs to glasses that can translate conversations live.
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