Five people have died and many others were injured in a major fire that broke out in a 10-storey apartment building in Antwerp on Wednesday.
The blaze occurred in a residential block in the city housing more than 200 people in around 120 apartments.
Emergency services were called to the scene, with firefighters working to evacuate residents and bring the fire under control all afternoon long.
Sixty people in an adjacent building were also evacuated.
They called it a “very complex fire”.
Several people suffered major burn injuries, and others were treated for smoke inhalation.
No further details on the identities of the victims have been released pending notification of families.
Many of the residents were of a high age.
It was unclear how many people were at home when the fire broke out and the firemen took several hours to search for possible victims in every single room.
Belgian police initially reported six deaths, but later revised the figure to five.
The exact circumstances surrounding the fatalities are still being clarified.
Online there circulated a dramatic video of a man having to flee via the balcony on the 7th floor as smoke was coming out of the building.
Former mayor of Antwerp Bob Cools, who’s 92-years-old and his wife lived at the complex and also had to be evacuated by firemen.
Around 2PM in the afternoon, firemen were able to evacuate a person on the 9th floor.
Authorities have said the fire likely started due to a technical failure on the ground floor.
This reportedly was around 9:53 AM.
The exact cause is under investigation by the public prosecutor’s office and fire experts.
According to some, there were works at the electricity of the building.
The damage will be assessed for every individual apartment by experts, some inhabitants will be forced to stay elsewhere for at least a week.
The incident has shocked the local community in Antwerp.
Emergency services and local authorities have been assisting displaced residents, many of whom have lost their homes and possessions.
Temporary accommodation has been arranged for those affected.
Belgian PM Bart De Wever, longtime mayor of the city, commented on the fire.
“My thoughts are with the victims and the evacuated residents of the terrible fire on Linkeroever. My deep appreciation goes out to the emergency services who are striving to help the many affected people as quickly and safely as possible, and who are working hard to bring the fire under control,” he said.
WATCH: Dramatic footage shows residents escaping burning apartment building in Linkeroever, Belgium as 6 killed, hundreds evacuated pic.twitter.com/0Ew01GMSnc
— Rapid Report (@RapidReport2025) July 1, 2026
