Several people killed in fire at Antwerp apartment block, say Belgian police

BRUSSELS – Belgian firefighters are battling a blaze in an apartment block in the city of Antwerp that has killed several people, the local police said on their website on July 1.

The local fire department received a call at 9.53am local time (3.53pm in Singapore) regarding a “raging fire” on the eighth floor of a 10-floor apartment block in the Linkeroever area of Antwerp, northern Belgium, the police said.

The building, which has been evacuated, is home to more than 200 people, the police said, adding that several people were injured.

“At this moment, we cannot provide figures on that yet, because priorities currently lie elsewhere,” local police spokeswoman Kim Bastiaens told reporters. “So we are primarily looking for victims right now.”

Several fire brigades from different districts were on site, as were ambulances and other emergency crews.

“We ask local residents affected by the smoke to close windows and doors and, if necessary, switch off ventilation,” the police added.

Resident Geert Dewulf, who lives on the 10th floor of the building, told Belgian broadcaster VRTNWS: “First the electricity went out; three minutes later, we got a fire alarm. By then, there was already smoke in the hallways.

“We tried to get down on our own, but we couldn’t manage it any more. 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.”

Linkeroever is a residential area off the city centre on the left bank of the Scheldt River.

Belgium has experienced a series of severe blazes in the past weeks, including one in a warehouse in Brussels. REUTERS