At least five people have died in a fire that tore through a 10-storey apartment building in the Belgian city of Antwerp on Wednesday, July 1, police said, according to Reuters.
Police spokesperson Kim Bastiaens said it was still too early to confirm the number of injured or determine what caused the blaze. Earlier reports in local media, citing police sources, had put the death toll at six before that figure was later revised down.
Reuters reported seeing emergency crews lowering residents from the building using ropes as firefighters battled to bring the fire under control. Survivors described being trapped inside their apartments before being rescued shortly after the fire broke out in the morning.
Credit: REUTERS/Yves Herman
Among those who escaped was 80-year-old resident Jaklien Heeren, who lives on the fifth floor. She told reporters she felt fortunate to have made it out alive. “I tried to go down, I opened the door and I could smell the fire,” she said. “I could see small flames were coming, and then I went out, and from then, I know nothing any more. I went out and I was lucky.” She also managed to rescue her dog, though she said two neighbours were not answering their phones.
Another resident, Geert Dewulf, who lives on the 10th floor, told Belgian broadcaster VRTNWS that he and others initially tried to escape on their own but were forced back. “We barricaded ourselves in our apartment and waited on the terrace,” he said. “About 10 minutes later, the fire department came to rescue us from the terrace with their fire ladder.”
Multiple fire brigades, ambulances, and other emergency services were deployed to the scene. Authorities urged nearby residents to keep doors and windows closed due to smoke.
Mijn gedachten zijn bij de slachtoffers en de geëvacueerde bewoners van de vreselijke brand op Linkeroever. Mijn diepe waardering gaat uit naar de nooddiensten die de vele getroffenen zo snel en veilig mogelijk trachten te helpen, en die hard werken om de brand te bedwingen.
— Bart De Wever (@Bart_DeWever) July 1, 2026
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a former mayor of Antwerp, said on X that his thoughts were with the victims and those affected.
