At least five dead, several injured in Antwerp apartment fire; over 200 evacuated from Linkeroever block
A fire that broke out late Wednesday morning in a 10-storey apartment building in Antwerp's Linkeroever district has claimed at least five lives and left several people injured, prompting a mass evacuation and a complex hours-long firefighting operation.
What happened
A fire erupted at 9:53 a.m. on Wednesday in a 10-storey apartment block on August Vermeylenlaan in the Linkeroever district of Antwerp. Flames and thick black smoke quickly filled the building, which houses more than 200 people spread across over 120 apartments. The local fire brigade initially described the incident as a "raging fire" on the eighth floor, though authorities later confirmed the blaze originated on the ground floor due to a technical problem. Witnesses reported hearing an explosion before the fire, and some mentioned ongoing electrical work, but the exact cause remains under investigation.
Casualties and rescue effort
Belgian police confirmed that at least five people lost their lives in the blaze, a figure revised down from an earlier report of six. Several others were injured, including serious cases transferred to nearby hospitals and lightly wounded individuals treated on site. The fire department faced near-zero visibility inside the building because of dense smoke. During the operation, a firefighter discovered a person alive on a ninth-floor balcony at 2:12 p.m., still crouched against the wall. A widely shared video showed a man climbing from his balcony into a neighbour's window to escape the black smoke.
It is a very complex fire.
Chronology and containment
The fire was declared fully extinguished at around 5:30 p.m., more than six hours after the initial call. Emergency services deployed a medical intervention plan to relieve pressure on local hospitals. A timeline of key moments traces the day's events:
- Emergency call reports a raging fire at the 10-storey building on August Vermeylenlaan.
- Police confirm the fire originated on the ground floor due to a technical problem.
- Firefighter finds a person alive on a ninth-floor balcony amid thick smoke.
- Fire fully extinguished after more than six hours; no additional victims found.
Official reaction and investigation
Police spokesperson Kim Bastiaens stated that a fire expert and a forensic laboratory had been assigned to determine the precise cause. She noted reports of electrical panel work but cautioned that no confirmation was yet available. Prime Minister Bart de Wever expressed condolences on social media, thanking emergency teams for their work, while King Filip was expected to visit the scene later in the afternoon. Former Antwerp mayor Bob Cools, a resident of the building, was evacuated and taken to hospital with his wife.
These elements will obviously be part of the investigation that will follow.
Residents of the affected building and an adjacent block were temporarily sheltered in a nearby care centre. Authorities sent mobile alerts advising locals to keep windows and doors closed and to switch off ventilation due to the heavy smoke.
