Credit: LAR / CGDIS
The Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) and Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR) have reported that the city of Liège in Belgium recently held a ceremony in honour of Luxembourg's rescue services.
On Friday 19 July 2024, Liège organised a ceremony at its city hall to honour the responders who provided assistance during the deadly fire that broke out at the Kennedy tower on Monday 24 June 2024.
In the presence of about 150 people, including the victims' families and responders, Dominique Mineur, Secretary General of the Royal Palace (Belgium), and Willy Demeyer*, Mayor of Liège, presented fifteen medals to the organisations involved, including the Luxembourg rescue services.
Two representatives, one from the Groupe de Reconnaissance et d'Intervention en Milieu Périlleux (GRIMP) of the CGDIS and the other from LAR, were awarded a joint medal for the helicopter rescue operation, highlighting their "excellent" collaboration.
For context, a fire broke out around 14:00 on 24 June in the Kennedy tower (a building with about 30 floors) in Liège. Due to high temperatures in the stairwell, the upper floors had to be evacuated by helicopter. Five people were rescued from a balcony and two firefighters were evacuated from the roof. The LAR and the CGDIS teamed up to support the rescue efforts.
* Updated to correct the mayor's name.
