At least five people have died after a fire swept through a 10-storey apartment building in the Belgian city of Antwerp, authorities said on Wednesday.
Police spokesperson Kim Bastiaens said the death toll currently stood at five, while the number of people injured had not yet been confirmed. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
The fire broke out in the morning, triggering a major emergency response involving firefighters, police and ambulance crews. Witnesses described dramatic rescue efforts as emergency workers evacuated residents from the building.
Reuters reporters at the scene saw rescuers lowering people from the side of the tower using ropes, while others were brought to safety using fire brigade equipment.
Survivors recounted being trapped inside the building as smoke and flames spread.
Eighty-year-old resident Jaklien Heeren, who lives on the fifth floor, said she narrowly escaped.
“I tried to go down, I opened the door and I could smell” the fire, she said.
“(I) could see small flames were coming, and then I went out, and from then, I know nothing any more. I went out and I was lucky.”
Heeren said she managed to escape with her dog but was unable to contact two neighbours during the incident.
Another resident, Geert Dewulf, said he and others became trapped on the upper floors.
“We tried to get down on our own but we couldn't manage it any more,” he told Belgian broadcaster VRTNWS.
“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.”
Multiple fire brigades from different districts were deployed to tackle the blaze, alongside ambulances and other emergency services.
Authorities urged nearby residents to keep their doors and windows closed because of heavy smoke in the area.
As firefighters worked to secure the building and search for victims, officials continued assessing the scale of the disaster.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a former mayor of Antwerp, expressed sympathy for those affected.
In a message on social media, he said his thoughts were with the victims and their families.
Investigators have yet to determine what started the fire, and police said it was too early to conclude.
The incident comes amid a series of major fires reported in Belgium in recent weeks, including a large warehouse blaze in Brussels.
Authorities are expected to continue their investigation while assessing the condition of survivors and the extent of damage to the building.
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