Several people have lost their lives since it occurred on Wednesday morning in an apartment building in the city of Antwerp, as the local police announced on their website.
A while ago it became known that the dead so far are at least six dead and many injured.
“Right now we can’t give specific numbers yet, as priorities are elsewhere,” local police spokeswoman Kim Bastiaens told reporters earlier. “So right now we’re mainly focused on identifying victims.”
The local fire department received a call at 09:53 am. (local time) for a rampage on the eighth floor of a 10-story apartment complex in the Linkeroever district of Antwerp.
The building, which was immediately evacuated, was home to more than 200 people, police said, adding that several people were injured. Strong firefighting forces from various areas of the city remain at the scene and are operating.
“We ask that residents of the area affected by smoke close windows and doors and, if necessary, turn off ventilation systems,” police added in their statement.
“First the power went out and three minutes later the fire alarm went off. By then, there was already smoke in the corridors,” Geert Dewulf, who lives on the 10th floor, told Belgian broadcaster VRTNWS. “We tried to get down on our own, but we couldn’t. We camped out in our apartment and waited on the porch. About 10 minutes later, the fire department came to rescue us from the porch with the fire escape.”
Linkerover is a residential area outside the city center on the left bank of the river Scheldt. Belgium has been hit by a series of serious fires in recent weeks, including one at a warehouse in Brussels.
