A Bpost delivery truck was severely damaged by fire at a sorting centre in Neder-Over-Heembeek, a northern district of Brussels, on Sunday morning. The incident prompted a swift response from emergency services, though no injuries were reported, and the blaze was eventually contained.
The Brussels Fire Brigade responded to the alarm shortly after the fire broke out. According to Walter Derieuw, a spokesperson for the Brussels fire department, the Flemish Brabant West fire zone took the lead in extinguishing the flames.
Meanwhile, the Brussels Fire Brigade assisted with providing the necessary water supply to manage the fire.
“The fire was fully under control by midday,” said Derieuw, emphasizing the coordinated efforts of the firefighting teams. “Our priority was to ensure the fire did not spread to surrounding areas.”
The incident occurred at one of Bpost’s sorting facilities in Neder-Over-Heembeek, a key location for parcel and mail processing.
Thankfully, the truck involved was empty at the time of the fire, and no parcels or letters were lost. “The lorry was not loaded,” confirmed Bpost spokesperson Mathieu Goedefroy in an interview with VRT. “We are very relieved that there were no casualties in the fire.”
Local authorities, including the Brussels-Ixelles police zone, have attributed the fire to a technical error in the vehicle.
While the exact cause remains under investigation, police have ruled out any suspicious activity or foul play. “Our initial findings point to a technical malfunction,” the police stated.
The sorting centre, which processes a large volume of mail and packages daily, was not impacted in terms of operations. Bpost assured that its logistics would continue uninterrupted. “We have contingency plans in place to handle such situations without any disruptions to our service,” Goedefroy explained.
Although the fire caused significant damage to the vehicle, the outcome could have been much worse. The prompt response of emergency teams and the fact that the truck was empty prevented the situation from escalating further.
Firefighters worked swiftly to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby facilities, ensuring that the damage was contained.
Bpost has expressed its relief that no one was injured, highlighting that the safety of its employees and the public remains a top priority. The company is now focusing on assessing the damage and reviewing its internal procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of regular maintenance and safety checks for delivery vehicles, especially those involved in high-volume operations.
The fire may have been caused by a technical fault, but it underscores the need for vigilance to ensure the safety of both workers and the public in industrial settings.
As the investigation into the technical failure continues, Bpost has reassured customers that their services remain unaffected and that there will be no delays in mail or parcel delivery.
