Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The metro stations Ribaucourt, Simonis (Elisabeth) and IJzer have been evacuated in Brussels after smoke began to develop in a metro carriage at Ribaucourt. The Brussels fire brigade and the Brussels public transport company MIVB have confirmed this information.
Saturday night at the Ribaucourt Metro station, the cause of a Metro carriage fire was said to have led to the evacuation of three major Brussels Metro stations and suspension of service on several lines: the Brussels fire brigade and Brussels public transport company (MIVB/STIB), said the steps taken, as reported by VRT.
Minutes after being alerted to a fire in a metro train on Ribaucourt, emergency crews went to work, extinguishing the blaze and ordering a complete evacuation of Ribaucourt, Simonis (Elisabeth), and IJzer stations. The emergency resulted in the shutdown of metro services on lines 2 and 6 for trains that were suspended between Simonis (Elisabeth) and Kunst-Wet.
What is the history of smoke incidents caused by the Belgian metro service?
The Brussels Metro has undergone many unanticipated and intentional disturbances. In 2016, the city’s transportation continued to be a target as a security threat with a fatal suicide bombing at Maelbeek/Maalbeek station, resulting in the death of 32 and more than 300 casualties. The metro has experienced some social problems over the past few years, such as unrest caused by the city’s drug problem, as well as repeated holdups in services due to general strikes, as reported by BBC.
Smoke-related emergencies, such as the 2025 event, are a regular occurrence of the older networks of the metro transportation system. There have been times when service was interrupted and stopped due to fires, switch failures, and incidents caused by passengers. Typically, emergency services respond rapidly, and safety checks or repairs require the metro to be temporarily closed.
