On the night of 17 January, a fire broke out at Hotel-Restaurant MiaZia in Belvaux. Four people had to be taken to the hospital. Among them was Pasquale Wolza, the establishment’s manager.
The fire alarm was triggered shortly after 11pm. Around 80 firefighters were dispatched to tackle the fire. At the time, the restaurant was empty, but seven rooms were occupied in the hotel.
One of the people taken to the hospital was the person suspected of starting the fire. According to Wolza, the fire started in the suspect’s room, where the suspect was staying with his girlfriend the night of the fire. According to the manager, the suspect started the fire to kill his girlfriend: “The fire, it all started here. There was a couple here. Abee, the man, who wanted to kill his girlfriend. And now you see what’s left. There’s nothing left. Everything’s burned.”
Everyone has recovered physically, however, the consequences of the fire are serious: the damage is estimated to be worth millions and the building will have to be completely renovated. The hotel will remain closed indefinitely. All 15 employees, including Wolza himself, are on a temporary involuntary layoff for two months. Their future remains uncertain, but Wolza has begun to explore options to continue the business and retain the team.
