Two people hurt in Brussels OXY building fire remain in life-threatening condition
Two people injured in the fire at the OXY building in central Brussels are still in life-threatening condition, La Dernière Heure reported on Wednesday 16 July 2026. The cause of the blaze and the circumstances in which the two victims were hurt have not yet been confirmed by authorities in publicly available statements.
Two people are fighting for their lives after a fire at one of the most visible addresses in central Brussels. For residents and the tens of thousands who pass through De Brouckère daily, the incident touches directly on safety in the capital's dense, heavily redeveloped core — and the investigation's findings will determine whether this was an isolated accident or a failure with wider lessons for major urban construction sites.
The OXY building is the redevelopment of the former Centre Monnaie (Muntcentrum) complex at Place De Brouckère in central Brussels — a landmark 1970s block, once home to postal and municipal services, being converted into a mixed-use complex of offices, housing, hotel space and shops. A fire at the building left two people with life-threatening injuries; La Dernière Heure reported on 16 July 2026 that both remain in critical condition. The cause of the fire and the victims' identities have not been publicly confirmed. The Brussels fire service (SIAMU/DBDMH) and, given the severity of the injuries, the Brussels prosecutor's office are the institutions expected to establish the facts.
Background
The Centre Monnaie, built in the early 1970s on the site of the old post office, long symbolised the car-oriented, office-heavy planning that Brussels has spent two decades trying to reverse. Its conversion into the OXY project — retaining the structure rather than demolishing it — was presented as a model of circular construction and of the broader renewal of the De Brouckère–Boulevard Anspach axis, which has been transformed since the boulevards were pedestrianised in 2015. Serious incidents on major Brussels construction sites have periodically prompted scrutiny of site safety enforcement in the region.
What to do
People moving through the De Brouckère area should expect possible perimeter restrictions or works disruption around the OXY site while investigations continue. Anyone with information about the incident should contact Brussels police; official updates will come from the Brussels fire service and prosecutor's office rather than social media.
Impact
Regional — The incident is centred on the Brussels-Capital Region: the emergency response fell to the Brussels fire service (SIAMU/DBDMH), any judicial follow-up would sit with the Brussels prosecutor's office, and the OXY site is a flagship of the De Brouckère district's renewal, an area the regional and city authorities have invested in heavily as the showcase of the pedestrianised city centre.
Sources & evidence
- View sourceLa Dernière Heure (DH.net) — Incendie du bâtiment OXY à Bruxelles: les deux blessés toujours en danger de mortPrimary· dhnet.be· 16 July 2026Retrieved 16 July 2026· 1 day ago· Dated