BRUSSELS, May 25 (Reuters) – People living near a burning textile warehouse in a town southwest of Brussels were evacuated on Monday due to a significant risk of canisters stored nearby exploding, the mayor said in a radio interview.
Other residents in Tubize were told to stay home with their windows and doors closed, the town’s council said on its website, to avoid exposure to toxic fumes, which contain asbestos among other substances.
“Right now, we are evacuating everybody in the street, as there is a significant risk of explosion for the nearby houses because of the gas canisters inside the building,” Mayor Samuel d’Orazio told local radio station RTBF.
The town hall opened its sports hall to lodge the people who were evacuated.
Monday is a holiday in Belgium and schools will remain closed on Tuesday in the town due to the blaze.
Belgium’s crisis centre extended the alert to keep doors and windows closed to those living in a broad area south and west of Brussels as the toxic fumes spread.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro; Editing by David Holmes, Rod Nickel)
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