Fire at Spanish embassy leaves two dead
A Spanish police officer and a firefighter have died in a fire at the Spanish embassy in the Belgian capital Brussels, officials said. Several other firefighters were injured.
Brussels Mayor Freddy Thielemans said the cause of the blaze at around 7pm last night was still unknown but there were no immediate indications the fire was intentional.
The blaze started in the narrow corridors of the building and quickly spread, enveloping the building in thick smoke and intense heat.
The body of the Spanish police officer who was employed at the embassy was found on the third floor close to where the fire was thought to have originated.
Several of the 50 firefighters that were called in had to be treated for smoke inhalation and one of them died.
Spain currently holds the presidency of the European Union and is the diplomatic focus of the 15-nation bloc.
The embassy is located on Boulevard du Regent, a busy thoroughfare near the centre of the capital.
