Deadly fire in Antwerp apartment block leaves multiple casualties

A deadly fire has struck a 10-storey residential block in Antwerp, leaving several people dead and others injured, the BBC reports, quoting Belgian police.

The blaze broke out shortly before 10:00 (08:00 GMT) on Wednesday, July 1, in the Linkeroever district. Thick smoke was seen billowing from the eighth floor, rapidly spreading through the building and complicating evacuation efforts.

Dramatic footage showed a man escaping the smoke by climbing from his balcony into a neighbouring apartment through a window.

Police said the building houses more than 200 residents and confirmed that multiple bodies had already been recovered.

One resident, Geert Dewulf, described how dense smoke trapped him inside his apartment. “We barricaded ourselves into our flat and waited on the balcony. The fire brigade came to rescue us from the balcony 10 minutes or so later with their ladder,” he told Belgian public television.

Firefighters said they were conducting door-to-door searches to locate potential victims, noting that the speed at which the smoke spread made evacuation significantly more difficult.

Another resident said his parents-in-law — including former Antwerp mayor Bob Cools — had been safely evacuated and taken to hospital. “We tried our utmost to save the cat but unfortunately in the end we were unable to,” he added.

Authorities said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire. However, witnesses cited by De Standaard newspaper reported that work had been underway on the roof of the building.

Antwerp fire brigade spokeswoman Marie de Clercq described the incident as a complex operation, with poor visibility and heavy smoke severely hampering firefighting efforts.

Prime Minister Bart De Wever said his thoughts were with the victims and displaced residents affected by what he described as a “terrible fire” in Linkeroever.

By Tamilla Hasanova