Brussels closes roads for state funeral of firefighter Olivier Francotte

Updated 23 August 2026, 18:00 CEST — BRUSSELS — Brussels authorities will close streets around the Koekelberg Basilica on Monday, 24 August, as the city holds a state funeral for firefighter Olivier Francotte at 11:00. HLN reported the planned traffic restrictions ahead of the ceremony, while the office of Brussels Minister-President Boris Dilliès confirmed the time and venue to BRUZZ.

Francotte, a 50-year-old sergeant-major with the Brussels Fire Brigade, died on 14 August during an emergency operation at a building on Treurenberg, near Brussels Central Station. According to BRUZZ and The Brussels Times, a contractor had struck a low-pressure gas pipe during building work, prompting firefighters and technicians from energy-network operator Sibelga to attend the site. Two explosions followed inside the building.

BRUZZ reported that Francotte was killed and that another firefighter and two Sibelga technicians were seriously injured. Dilliès later said that all three injured responders were out of danger. Sibelga confirmed the death and injuries in a public statement and said it was cooperating fully with the authorities investigating the accident.

The state funeral gives the ceremony an official public character and reflects the scale of the loss for the Brussels emergency services. Dilliès announced the honour after laying a wreath at the Heliport fire station and meeting Francotte’s colleagues, according to BRUZZ and BX1. Francotte’s rank, long service and death while responding to an emergency place the focus firmly on the occupational risks faced by firefighters and utility technicians.

The loss has also resonated beyond Brussels. Nieuwsblad reported that firefighters in Kyiv commemorated Francotte during the handover of three fire engines and emergency equipment donated by the Brussels brigade and its partners. Brussels Fire Brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw described the tribute as a sign of solidarity across the firefighting community.

Drivers should avoid the immediate basilica area on Monday and allow additional time for local diversions. The available public reporting does not provide a complete, official street-by-street timetable for every closure, so travellers should check current police and public-transport information before setting out. The investigation into the precise sequence and causes of the explosions remains open; Sibelga has said it will assist the competent authorities.