Antwerp, Belgium. At least five people were killed in a fire in a 10-storey apartment tower in Antwerp on Wednesday, police said. Authorities said it was still too early to confirm the number of injured or determine the cause of the blaze.
Casualties and rescue efforts
Police spokesperson Kim Bastiaens said the number of injured had not yet been established. Local media had earlier reported six deaths, citing police, but that figure was later revised down.
Reuters saw rescuers lowering residents from the side of the building by rope. Several fire brigades from different districts, along with ambulances and other emergency crews, were at the scene.
Residents describe escape
Survivors said they were trapped inside until police and firefighters arrived shortly after the fire began in the morning.
Jaklien Heeren, 80, who lives on the fifth floor, said she considered herself lucky to escape. She said she tried to go downstairs after opening her door and smelling smoke, then saw small flames and lost awareness after going outside. She said she was able to get her dog out of the building, but two of her neighbours were not answering their phones.
Geert Dewulf, who lives on the 10th floor, told Belgian broadcaster VRTNWS that he and others tried to get down on their own but could not. He said they barricaded themselves in their apartment and waited on the terrace until the fire department rescued them with a fire ladder about 10 minutes later.
Public safety warning and official reaction
Police told nearby residents to keep doors and windows closed to avoid harm from the smoke.
Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a former mayor of Antwerp, said on X that his thoughts were with the victims.
