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An electric monowheel caught fire on a train traveling toward Bruges, the railway company NMBS reported. The train was able to stop safely and all passengers were evacuated. Four passengers were injured and taken to hospital. The fire also caused significant disruption to rail traffic toward Ghent.

The fire occurred around 16:45 as the train was leaving Brussels-South station. “On a train from Hasselt to Bruges, a battery from an electric bicycle caught fire,” said NMBS spokesperson Dimitri Temmerman. According to Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the Brussels fire department, it involved a monowheel.

The fire produced a large amount of smoke. Firefighters arrived quickly to extinguish the blaze and evacuate passengers. “Two people became unwell, one person injured their knee during the evacuation, and one person injured their hand,” Derieuw said. The four victims were taken to hospital.

To evacuate passengers, the train was safely brought to a stop near Klein Eiland station. “Under police escort, all passengers were taken to an Infrabel maintenance site. From there, they were able to take a MIVB bus to Brussels-South,” Temmerman said.

The fire also disrupted rail traffic between Brussels and Ghent. “Four tracks were taken out of service. Several trains were diverted or cancelled.”

Around 18:00, rail traffic gradually resumed. However, delays and cancellations remain possible on the lines between Brussels-South and Denderleeuw and Ghent-Sint-Pieters, NMBS stated on its website.

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2026/03/19/brand-trein-door-fiets/