Aartselaar (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Around 120 people joined a major emergency drill in Aartselaar. It simulated a fire, a drug lab, and a chemical spill. In the drill, 10 injured, 1 dead. Mayor Sophie De Wit praised teamwork despite communication issues.
As VRT News reported, emergency services held a large drill in Aartselaar, a municipality in the province of Antwerp, Belgium, on Wednesday evening, May 14, 2025. The exercise took place from 7 to 10 p.m. It included several different emergency teams.
Around 120 people joined the emergency drill. The drill was at the municipal warehouse on Leon Gillotlaan. People believed it was a bicycle repair workshop. The workshop was organised by a local cycling club. 1 room was secretly a fake drug lab. A fire began during the workshop. It may have been caused by a faulty heater. Smoke quickly filled the building.
Members of the cycling club were trapped inside. The fire brigade arrived to help. They had to rescue individuals who lost consciousness due to the smoke. In the drill, 10 people were injured. 1 person was declared dead.
How well did Aartselaar’s emergency teams handle the drill?
While firefighters fought the fire, police found the hidden drug lab. They saw 2 suspects running away. The police started chasing them. The suspects went into Vluchtenburgstraat. There, they found an abandoned car. The car was leaking chemicals from the drug lab. The chemicals were going into the ground and a nearby stream. This caused an environmental alert.
The fire department’s hazardous materials team came to stop the pollution. The exercise was a real test of how to handle a public safety and environmental problem. It tested how well the fire services, police, and environmental teams worked together. Officials mentioned that it taught them how to handle unexpected problems, like crime and environmental issues, at the same time.
After the large exercise in Aartselaar, the emergency services checked how they did. Major Engels from the Rivierenland fire zone said they were generally pleased with how the exercise went. He said that the different emergency services cooperated well with each other. The exercise showed that they could work together as a strong team in a simulated crisis.
He mentioned that firefighters, police, and environmental services managed to respond quickly to the fire, the discovery of the illegal drug lab, and the chemical spill. Despite the good teamwork, the exercise also showed some challenges. The main issue was communication between the different services.
According to Major Engels, they want to connect these channels, but it’s often difficult because of technical problems. This lack of connection can cause delays and misunderstandings, especially when quick information is needed. The problems will now be studied more closely in the next few weeks.
The town of Aartselaar thinks these exercises are important. Mayor Sophie De Wit said they want to improve how the different emergency services work together. He mentioned that the goal is to make the rules and communication better so everyone can work even more efficiently and together during a real crisis.
“This way, everyone knows what their task is and gains experience, so that even in a real emergency, everything can run smoothly and in a coordinated manner. The fact that there was so much dedication gives me a sense of security for when it is ‘for real’ – hopefully not too soon or too often,” Mayor Sophie De Wit (N-VA).
