Deadly Oxy Fire: Cause Still Unclear One Month Later

Exactly one month after the deadly fire in the Oxy building in Brussels, the cause of the blaze remains undetermined and the construction site is still at a standstill. The labour auditorate, which is leading the investigation, confirmed that while most findings have been made, the investigation is still ongoing, according to VRT NWS.

The Disaster

The fire broke out on the morning of July 14 on the second floor of the Oxy building at De Brouckereplein in central Brussels. Around 250 workers were on site at the time. The initial blaze on the first and second floors was quickly brought under control, but flames entered the elevator shaft and spread to the basement level, triggering a fierce secondary fire, as VRT NWS reported on the day of the disaster.

Six workers lost their lives in what has become one of the heaviest workplace accidents in recent Belgian history. Their bodies were recovered from a collapsed elevator in an elevator shaft after hours of difficult rescue operations. Two newly installed elevators had collapsed into the shafts, and forensic experts found one elevator cable had broken. Two additional workers with severe burns were taken to the Military Hospital in Neder-over-Heembeek and were in life-threatening condition.

Among the six deceased were five Belgians and one Romanian. Four of the victims worked for On Time Metalworks (OTM), a metalworking company from Alken in Limburg, including the company’s manager and three employees - comprising the entire external workforce of the firm. Mayor of Alken, Marc Penxten, described the loss as “a very heavy blow” for the company, noting that they were “deeply dejected, but they will continue with their business,” as VRT NWS reported.

Investigation Ongoing

The labour auditorate launched a criminal investigation against unknown persons, examining whether workplace welfare legislation was followed. According to the Openbaar Ministerie, the investigation initially focused on determining the exact cause of the fire, the sequence of events, and whether criminal responsibility could be established.

On July 20, the first phase of the on-site investigation was completed. The labour auditorate ordered the seal on the construction site to be lifted, but the TWW inspection (Toezicht op het Welzijn op het Werk) simultaneously ordered a site closure until safety deficiencies are fixed, as detailed in the official press release. Contractors may re-enter the building to address the safety issues identified during inspection, but full work resumption requires all TWW-imposed conditions to be met.

The Oxy Project

The Oxy building, formerly known as the Muntcentrum, is a landmark modernist structure from the 1970s located opposite the neoclassical Muntschouwburg in the heart of Brussels. The building is being transformed into a multifunctional complex with 120 apartments, 316 hotel rooms, and 44,000 square meters of office space, as VRT NWS detailed in its background coverage of the project.

The approximately 300 million euro renovation, led by project developers Immobel and Whitewood with Norwegian architects Snohetta and Antwerp’s Binst Architects, was expected to be completed later in 2026 or early 2027. Energy company Engie planned to move its headquarters of around 4,000 employees to the building. The stalled site now raises significant questions about the project timeline.

What’s Next

The labour auditorate has stated that when work can resume cannot yet be predicted. The site remains sealed, and the investigation continues as forensic experts work through their findings. Condolence registers will be handed over to the families of the victims at a later date.

For the construction industry and public safety officials, this tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the risks inherent in large-scale renovation projects. The investigation’s findings on safety deficiencies and the cause of the fire will likely have implications for workplace safety regulations across Belgium’s construction sector. As the auditorate continues to piece together what happened, the families of the six workers who lost their lives, and the two who remain seriously injured, await answers that may take weeks or even months to emerge.