A student tragically died in the fire of her apartment on the night of Friday June 9 to Saturday June 10, 2023 in Etterbeek.
When the Brussels firefighters arrived on rue Aviateur Thieffry around 5 a.m., the ground floor of the house was completely ablaze. “Additional fire and medical resources were immediately dispatched,” advises Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the firefighters. “With the valuable help of the Montgomery zone police, the evacuation of those present and the establishment of a security and exclusion perimeter were carried out”.
Searches in the blaze made it possible to find an unconscious person on the 2nd floor of the house. “Resuscitation was immediately started.” Unfortunately, it was declared unsuccessful. “The person died on the spot.”
According to the spokesperson for the Brussels Fire Brigade, it is a foreign student from another European country. “The house consisted of a dwelling and 2 student accommodation. She is a student who tragically lost her life in this tragedy. Of European foreign nationality, she was studying in Belgium as part of an exchange program. The necessary will be done by the authorities to warn, as soon as possible, the family of the deceased”.
Injury for a neighbour, burns for a firefighter
Less dramatic, “a neighbor suffered a slight head injury during the evacuation and was transferred to the hospital”. The firefighters also deplore the 2nd degree burn on the hand suffered by a colleague, “superficial burns”.
The fire was under control around 5:15 a.m. “According to the first elements which remain to be confirmed, the disaster would be of accidental origin”, advances Walter Derieuw. “The house is uninhabitable, three people need to be rehoused. They will be taken care of by the municipal services”. Mayor Vincent De Wolf has been informed of the facts.
Firefighters announce long-term excavations. They also point the damage to a car parked nearby, damaged by the fire.
