The Municipality of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode launched its municipal emergency plan late Friday morning in response to the identification of a stability problem at the level of the building located at 56 rue Scailquin and Another relative who is at 47-51 Chaussée de Louvain (photo), said Mayor Emir Kir.
Residents were evacuated to the Guy Cudell room. The police and municipal services went to the scene. Gas and electricity were cut off. The firefighters were called around 10:30 a.m. by a person who reported the presence of cracks in his home. “They saw the cracks on the spot and called in an engineer from the town”explained the spokesperson for the Brussels fire brigade, Walter Derieuw. “By mutual agreement, we decided to evacuate two buildings, which have 24-27 apartments in all. (…) Some people will be relocated by the family and others by the municipal services”.
For a week we will observe the evolution
Around 6 p.m., the mayor of the commune told us more about the possible causes of the stability problems. “Obviously, it was the work being done nearby for the construction of a residential and commercial building that caused the incident. Today, we obviously have to take all the measures to be sure that the building will not continue to move. This is the reason why for a week we will observe the evolution. If during the first four days, this evolution, via a surveyor, we see that it does not move, the inhabitants could possibly return to their homes“, told us Emir Kir.
In the meantime, residents must be relocated. “We will find a solution. We are going to relocate them urgently, we are going to find solutions with the hotel sector, we cannot leave these people in the cold“said the mayor.