Belgian firefighters are battling a fire in an apartment block in the city of Antwerp that has caused the death of several people, at least 6, according to Flemish television. . As the firefighters of the Belgian town have reported, the fire can no longer spread.
According to police, local firefighters received a call at 9:53 a.m. reporting a “raging fire” on the eighth floor of a 10-story apartment building in the Linkeroever area of Antwerp, northern Belgium. The building, which has already been evacuated, housed more than 200 people, police said, adding that several people were injured.
“At this moment, we cannot provide figures in this regard, since our priorities are other,” Kim Bastiaens, spokesperson for the local police, told the press. “So right now we are primarily looking for the victims.”
Fighting the fire: “The fire alarm sounded. By then there was already smoke”
There are several fire departments from different districts, as well as ambulances and other emergency equipment, at the scene. “We asked residents affected by the smoke to close their windows and doors and, if necessary, turn off the ventilation,” the police added.
“First the power went out, three minutes later the fire alarm sounded. By then, there was already smoke in the hallways,” Geert Dewulf, a resident of the 10th floor, told the Belgian radio station. VRTNWS. “We tried to go down on our own, but we couldn’t. We barricaded ourselves in our apartment and waited on the terrace. About 10 minutes later, the firefighters came to rescue us from the terrace with their ladder,” he said.
Linkeroever is a residential area located just outside the city center, on the left bank of the Scheldt River. It is also worth noting that Belgium has suffered a series of serious fires in recent weeks, including one in a warehouse in Brussels. They have occurred in a significant context of a heat wave, with exceptionally high temperatures.
Firefighters rescue a person from a fire in a ten-story block of buildings in Antwerp, Belgium.
