Several people were killed after a fire broke out at a construction site in Brussels on Tuesday. Local authorities said at least six workers were still missing as rescue operations continued. According to the local fire brigade, around 200 workers were present at the site when the fire started, Reuters reported.

Fire Erupts at Major Renovation Project

The fire began early Tuesday at a large renovation project located at Place de Brouckere in central Brussels. Emergency crews rushed to the scene and launched rescue operations. During the search, rescuers found several bodies inside one of the two elevator cabins at the construction site, a spokesperson for the local labour inspection service told Reuters. The exact number of people killed has not yet been officially confirmed.

Initial Blaze Brought Under Control

Belgian broadcaster VRT reported, citing the fire brigade, that firefighters managed to contain the initial fire on the lower floors of the building within a short time.

However, the situation became more dangerous after the flames spread through the elevator shafts.

Bodies Found Inside Elevator

Brecht Speybrouck, spokesperson for the local labour inspection service, said rescue teams gained limited access to one of the elevator cabins during the operation.

“had small access to one of the two elevator cabinets.” “…There we had a view that there are some corpses of two or three people who died,” Speybrouck told Reuters. He added that six workers remained unaccounted for as search efforts continued.

Cause of Fire Still Unknown

Authorities have not yet determined what caused the fire. Firefighters said the flames travelled through the elevator shafts and ignited another fire on an underground floor after the initial blaze had already been brought under control.

Officials are continuing rescue and recovery operations while investigators work to determine the cause of the deadly incident.