A serious fire in an empty building in Beringen in Limburg province has claimed the lives of two firefighters. Four others have been injured.
The fire broke our around 0200 on Sunday morning. According to a report by the commander of the south-west Limburg zone, Commander Bert Swijsen, firefighters entered the building with the aim of containing the fire. However the alarm was then given to evacuate because of the presence of combustion gases and the risk of explosion, known as a flashover, where the heating of certain materials causes the release of flammable gases.
All but two of the men on duty reported to the assembly place outside. After part of the building collapsed, their bodies were discovered among the rubble.
“These were two volunteers, two young fathers,” Commander Swijsen said. “They had enough experience, but sadly there is always a risk. It’s hard to come to terms with the fact they are no longer with us. They were two friendly guys, both part of a larger group of friends. This is a dark day for our service.”
Local firefighters from Beringen were joined by teams from Heusden-Zolder and Tessenderlo. Four other firefighters were reported to be injured, one of them seriously. He was transported to hospital in Leuven. The others were taken to hospital in Heusden-Zolder suffering from smoke inhalation.
Residents of the Beringen-Mijn area were advised to keep doors and windows closed, and the Koolmijnlaan, where the building is situated, was closed to traffic.
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