Heavy fire in Kortrijk, research center goes up in flames

The building is only officially open from September 10, 2021. Veg-i-tec is a research center of Ghent University that aims to improve processes in the processing of vegetables and potatoes. The building cost 7.5 million euros. The fire brigade and emergency services were on the scene this morning.

No injuries

The fire started around 9:45 a.m. Employees were working in the garden on behalf of the university. One of them was de-mossing with a gas burner when the plants on the wall also caught fire. The fire spread to the insulation between the sheets of the building.

The fire continued to flare up for a while, but after more than an hour the fire was under control.

There were no students present, but four staff members were in the building. “They were able to leave the building quickly, no one was injured. For a moment there was talk of a missing person, but that turned out not to be the case,” says Philip Stichelbaut of the fire brigade. Ghent University is celebrating its Dies Natales today. The street was closed to traffic for a while.

Great disappointment among employees

Several researchers from Ghent University watched emotionally as the brand new building was ablaze. At that time it was not yet clear what the inside would look like. “It now appears that the damage is not too bad,” says Ghent University. “There is still smoke and water damage, but we are confident that operations can resume soon.” The examinations always take place in a hygienic context, so a good cleaning of the machines is on the schedule.

On Tuesday, the Federal President of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, would visit VEG-i-TEC at the invitation of the king. According to UGent, this will still be possible for the time being.

The new Kortrijk swimming pool is located on the other side of the railway. There too – quite shortly after the opening – a serious fire broke out, on February 27, 2019.