Antwerp Tower Fire
Multiple Fatalities Confirmed as Deadly Fire Engulfs Antwerp Apartment Tower; Rescue Efforts Ongoing
Key Points
The blaze struck a residential tower in Antwerp’s Linkeroever district, according to reporting from VRT and NOS.
Several outlets, including AD.nl and De Telegraaf, have confirmed fatalities and serious injuries among those affected.
Emergency crews, led by the fire department, remain at the scene conducting ongoing search operations for potential victims.
Belgian police said they would release further details as the situation develops.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning, with authorities noting the building was home to more than 200 residents and that the event is still unfolding.
A fire tore through a 10-story apartment block in Antwerp, Belgium on Wednesday morning, killing multiple people and injuring several others, according to Reuters and VRT. The blaze broke out just before 10:00 AM local time on the eighth floor of the building on August Vermeylenlaan in the Linkeroever district, forcing more than 200 residents to flee.
Antwerp Police spokesperson Kim Bastiaens said: "There are several seriously injured and several lightly injured. Unfortunately, there are also a number of fatalities, but we cannot say how many at this moment." Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever posted his condolences online, writing: "My thoughts are with the victims and the evacuated residents."
Fire Spreads Fast Through All Ten Floors
The first emergency call came in at 9:53 AM, according to Xinhua. Crews arrived within minutes and found smoke spreading rapidly between floors. Fire Zone Antwerp spokesperson Marie De Clercq said: "Smoke was spreading quickly and easily between floors and rooms, making it more difficult to search for people and evacuate them." More than 10 fire engines responded, drawing teams from four emergency zones: Waasland, Fire Zone Rand, Rivierenland, and Antwerp.
A medical emergency plan was activated by 12:30 PM to stop local hospitals from being overwhelmed, The Washington Post reported. By 1:45 PM, smoke had largely cleared, but firefighters continued floor-by-floor search-and-rescue operations using drones and climbing teams. The entire building was fully evacuated by early afternoon, according to VRT.
Residents Rescued From Balconies as Flames Raged
Some residents were trapped above the fire. Survivor Geert Dewulf told Belgian public television: "We barricaded ourselves into our flat and waited on the balcony. The fire brigade came to rescue us from the balcony 10 minutes later with their ladder." The BE-Alert system was activated early in the crisis, warning nearby residents to close windows and doors to avoid smoke inhalation, according to the AP.
Former Antwerp mayor Bob Cools, who lived in the building, was among those evacuated and taken to hospital for observation, Daily Record reported. Over 200 displaced residents were housed at the Hof ter Schelde care center, where psychological support services were also made available, according to Examinerlive.
Construction Work on Roof Raises Questions About Cause
Police said it is "too early" to name a cause. But witnesses told Belgian newspaper De Standaard that construction work was being carried out on the roof earlier that morning, according to Caliber.Az. Forensic teams were dispatched to the scene by 3:00 PM to begin a formal investigation, and a provincial-scale response was requested, bringing in federal forensic teams from outside Antwerp.
Fire safety experts noted that the speed at which smoke traveled through the building pointed to possible failures in compartmentation — the building design meant to stop fire from spreading between units, Sky News reported. Linkeroever is known for its 1960s and 70s-era high-rise blocks, many of which predate Belgium's 1995 fire safety standards and face less strict retrofit rules.
Belgium Confronts Aging High-Rise Safety Standards
Belgium's fire safety rules for high-rises are set by a Royal Decree from July 7, 1994. Buildings permitted before May 1995 face weaker requirements. They are not forced to upgrade unless major renovation work is done. This gap has drawn criticism before. A 2018 fire and collapse on Paardenmarkt in Antwerp sparked a city-wide debate about the poor condition of older rental properties, according to Bangladesh Post.
Antwerp also suffered a deadly gas explosion in the Hoboken district in June 2024, killing one and injuring several others, highlighting repeated safety risks in the city's older buildings. As of 4:00 PM local time on Wednesday, the scene remained active. Final casualty numbers had not yet been released, with authorities awaiting completion of a full floor-by-floor sweep, Yahoo News reported.
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