Belgium heat wave fuels drownings as public pool shortage persists

Record temperatures of 35.1 °C in Uccle sparked a heat wave across Belgium, prompting many to seek relief in water. Two 17‑year‑old teenagers drowned in an illegal swim in a former quarry lake at Sprimont, and a third teenager remains in critical condition after a drowning in the Escaut River in Ghent.

The incidents have highlighted a chronic shortage of public swimming facilities in the French‑speaking region of Wallonia‑Brussels, where there is roughly one pool for every 40,000 residents. Schools often cannot provide swimming lessons, leaving about a third of primary pupils without any instruction. Officials say limited resources hinder regular monitoring of prohibited sites, and no new pools are planned, raising concerns over growing safety risks during hot weather.