Man (42) seriously burned in the face during the installation of a digital meter: “Suddenly a flash came out of the panel” (Ichtegem)

A man from Ichtegem suffered burns to his face on Tuesday when he installed a digital meter in a home in Elverdinge. “Suddenly a flash of fire started from the panel.”

The emergency services rushed to the Warande district in the Ypres village of Elverdinge on Tuesday afternoon. “The report was a small outdoor fire,” says Dirk Vandekerckhove, fire captain of the Westhoek Fire Department. “Upon arrival it turned out to be a bit bigger, so we asked for preventive reinforcement from our ladder truck. The fire was located in a house near the gas and electricity meter cupboard. An installer who was working there suffered burns to the face from a flash fire. He has been taken to hospital.” (Read more below the photo)

The labor auditor confirms that it is a “serious industrial accident”. “BESIX was working on the installation of digital meters in private homes as a subcontractor to Fluvius,” it said. “A BESIX employee was seriously injured during these works. During the installation process in one of those homes, a flash of fire suddenly broke out from the panel.” (Read more below the photo)

The victim — a 42-year-old man from Ichtegem — suffered second-degree burns to his face. “The labor auditor will investigate what the precise cause of the accident was, and whether or not this was accompanied by any shortcomings in the Welfare Act and the Codex Welfare at Work,” the labor auditor said. “After the incident, the electrical installation in the home involved must be checked and re-inspected. The residents in the street were transferred to shelters nearby.” (Read more below the photo)

“I was just enjoying one strut with strawberries, but I quickly finished eating,” said a resident, who prefers to remain anonymous. “I didn’t see anything and I don’t know how the incident could have happened.”

Power shut off

“We did a brief extinguishing, smoke ventilation and inspection,” says Vandekerckhove. “The electricity was temporarily turned off in the area as a precaution, but I expected this to be back in order soon.”