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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| EU offices evacuated due to fire | EU offices evacuated due to fire |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A fire has broken out in the basement of the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, officials say. | A fire has broken out in the basement of the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, officials say. |
| A BBC correspondent near the Berlaymont building says thick smoke can be seen pouring from the roof. Several fire engines and ambulances are outside. | |
| Information officer Nico Keppens said security personnel had told him that there was a fire in the press room. | Information officer Nico Keppens said security personnel had told him that there was a fire in the press room. |
| "I think everybody was evacuated. There was no panic," he told the BBC. People have been told to keep a safe distance. | "I think everybody was evacuated. There was no panic," he told the BBC. People have been told to keep a safe distance. |
| Mr Keppens said there was no information on the cause of the blaze. There have been no reports of any injuries. | Mr Keppens said there was no information on the cause of the blaze. There have been no reports of any injuries. |
| The Berlaymont, a four-pronged glass and steel structure in central Brussels, has 18 floors and offices for some 3,000 EU officials. | The Berlaymont, a four-pronged glass and steel structure in central Brussels, has 18 floors and offices for some 3,000 EU officials. |
| Officials said the building was evacuated within minutes of alarm being sounded shortly after 1300 (1100 GMT). | |
| Journalists working in the media room, known as "the bunker", said they had noticed a steady build-up of smoke for 20 minutes before then, but that the smoke detectors had failed to react. |