A massive fire that broke out on Wednesday morning (01/07) in a ten-story residential building in the Linkeroever district of Antwerp, Belgium, has ended in tragedy, with authorities confirming multiple fatalities and dozens of injured. The building, which was evacuated, housed more than 200 residents, and according to police, at least 5 people have lost their lives.
According to authorities, several people have been seriously injured and transported to hospital, while many others sustained minor injuries and received first aid on site. “Shortly before 10 a.m., a fire broke out in an apartment building on August Vandermeylelaan street in Linkeroever.
Belgium: Major disruption in Antwerp as apartment fire causes chaos
It quickly became clear that this was a serious fire. There are several seriously injured and several slightly injured, who are receiving medical treatment on site. Unfortunately, there are also several fatalities. At this moment, the fire service continues its search to determine whether there are still people inside the building. We cannot provide numbers at this time, as the priority right now is searching for victims and providing medical assistance,” said Kim Bastiaens, spokesperson for the Antwerp police zone.
Fire service clarification on the blaze
Fire service units clarified that the fire broke out on the eighth floor of the building, not the tenth as initially reported. When the first crews arrived on scene, they found that thick smoke had engulfed a large portion of the building.
“This is a very complex fire”
A harrowing video has captured the moment a man climbed from his own balcony through a neighbor’s window to escape the thick black smoke. “This is a very complex fire,” said a spokesperson for the Antwerp Fire Service. “The fire has not yet been brought under control, but it can no longer spread. That is good news,” they added.
The fire service continues its search for victims inside the building, using a list of residents’ names. “We have located additional people. Our climbing team has also been deployed to evacuate individuals independently of the ladder fire trucks.”
JUST IN: Multiple people dead, several others seriously injured after an apartment building fire in Antwerp, Belgium. pic.twitter.com/xBSQ5kTbdO
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