In brief
In the Linkeroever district of Antwerp, a blaze broke out on the eighth floor of a 10‑storey apartment block just before 10:00 local time. Thick smoke engulfed the building, forcing residents to barricade themselves in flats and await rescue. Firefighters ran from flat to flat searching for survivors as the fire spread rapidly, but they could only pull some residents to safety, including the ex‑mayor of Antwerp. Five people died and several others were injured before the fire was extinguished. Both the Belgian King and Prime Minister expressed condolences and the Flemish parliament held a minute’s silence.
A fire erupted on the eighth floor of a 10‑storey apartment block in Antwerp’s Linkeroever district, putting thick smoke over the building and forcing residents to seek shelter in their apartments.
Video footage showed a man on a balcony climbing through a neighbour’s window to escape the smoke, illustrating the chaos residents faced. Firefighters searched from flat to flat, but the rapid spread of smoke made evacuation difficult.
The incident, caused by a technical glitch on the ground floor, left five people dead and several others injured. Over 200 residents live in the building and 80 units were evacuated during the emergency.
“It has claimed a heavy toll here at Linkeroever,” said police spokeswoman Kim Bastiaens. Residents reported being barricaded in their flats and waiting on balconies until fire crews rescued them.
Revised casualty figures at 11:52 BST confirmed five deaths; the fire was extinguished later that afternoon. Belgium’s King Philippe, along with Prime Minister Bart De Wever, visited the scene and met evacuees to offer condolences, while the Flemish parliament marked a minute’s silence.
The fire has sparked calls for tougher safety checks in apartment blocks, as well as a review of emergency response protocols in antique high‑rise buildings.
