A “small but complex” fire broke out at a warehouse in the Leopold Dock section of the Port of Antwerp over the weekend, the port authority has confirmed.
Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, it began Saturday afternoon in a shipment of nickel sulphide, an inorganic compound that creates toxic smoke when burned.
As a result, the local government has initiated its municipal disaster plan and evacuated all vessels and residents within a restricted area surrounding the warehouse, but port officials said in a translated statement there is no health risk outside the evacuation area aside from a “possible odor nuisance.”
The port authority said the fire is under control and the situation is “evolving favorably,” but cautioned that the fire has yet to be extinguished fully.
According to a report from local newspaper The Brussels Times, “Residents of nearby areas like in Ekeren, Stabroek and Kapellen, likely to be most affected by smoke, were advised to keep windows and doors closed, to remain inside, to turn off ventilation if in the car and to seek medical help if affected by breathing problems, coughing or eye irritation.”