At least five people were killed and several others injured after a fire broke out in a high-rise apartment building in Antwerp, Belgium. More than 200 residents were affected as firefighters battled the blaze and investigators began examining the cause
Published Date – 1 July 2026, 07:10 PM
Antwerp (Belgium): At least five people were killed and many others injured on Wednesday in a fire at an apartment block in the Belgian city of Antwerp, police said.
The blaze broke out mid-morning on the eighth floor of the building, where more than 200 people live, in the city’s Linkeroever neighbourhood, sending huge plumes of smoke into the air, Antwerp police said in a statement.
“Right now, unfortunately, at least five people have died in the fire. There are also a significant number of seriously injured people, as well as a number of people with minor injuries,” Antwerp police spokesperson Kim Bastiaens told Belgian private broadcaster VTM.
The 10-storey block was evacuated and local residents were warned to keep their windows and doors closed and, if needed, turn off any ventilators because of the amount of smoke in the air.
Firefighters battled the blaze in difficult conditions because of its size and intensity, police said. Several teams of first responders and police were dispatched to the site, including a specialised drone unit.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, but Bastiaens said it had started on the ground floor and that forensic experts were examining the site.
A medical emergency plan was activated to prevent the victims from overwhelming nearby hospitals.
An Associated Press photographer at the scene said the smoke had died down by early afternoon, but many first responders were still there.
Television images from the scene showed one man on an upper floor surrounded by smoke and leaning over a balcony in an effort to get fresh air before making his way to a nearby window.
Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a former mayor of Antwerp, said his “thoughts are with the victims and the evacuated residents of the terrible fire on Linkeroever.”
“My deep appreciation goes out to the emergency services who are striving to help the many affected people as quickly and safely as possible, and who are working hard to bring the fire under control,” he said in a post on social media.
Linkeroever, which is located in the eastern part of Antwerp, is a large residential area dotted with high-rise apartment buildings and bordering a major park where outdoor music concerts are held.
