Antwerp, Belgium. At least five people were killed in a fire at a 10-storey apartment tower in Antwerp on Wednesday, police said. Emergency crews rescued residents from the building as authorities said it was still too early to confirm the number of injured.
Rescue operation
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 deployed to the scene.
Survivors said they were trapped inside the building until police and firefighters arrived shortly after the blaze began in the morning.
Residents’ accounts
“First the electricity went out. Three minutes later we got a fire alarm. By then, there was already smoke in the hallways”, Geert Dewulf, who lives on the 10th floor, told Belgian broadcaster VRTNWS.
“We tried to get down on our own but we couldn’t manage it anymore. We barricaded ourselves in our apartment and waited on the terrace. About 10 minutes later, the fire department came to rescue us from the terrace with their fire ladder.”
Another resident, who gave his name as Gerard, described helping a neighbour escape from an apartment filled with smoke, but being unable to find her cat.
Casualties and response
The building was believed to house about 200 people. Police spokesperson Kim Bastiaens told local broadcaster VTM Nieuws that at least five people had been killed.
Police said it was still too early to provide a figure for the number of injured. Residents nearby were told to keep doors and windows closed to avoid harm from the smoke.
Official reaction
Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a former mayor of Antwerp, said on X that his thoughts were with the victims.
Belgium has experienced a series of severe blazes in recent weeks, including one in a warehouse in Brussels.