Overview
- A blaze broke out on the eighth floor of a 10‑storey residential block in Linkeroever, Antwerp, forcing a full evacuation of a building that houses more than 200 people.
- Officials report multiple fatalities and several injuries, with one outlet citing at least six dead, and emergency teams continue to search the building for further victims.
- Firefighters from Antwerp and interregional units plus Belgian Civil Protection and drone teams mounted a large rescue and suppression operation using more than ten fire appliances.
- Local authorities activated a health emergency plan to prevent hospital overcrowding and asked nearby residents to stay indoors and close ventilation because of heavy smoke.
- The cause of the fire has not been determined and investigators remain on site while dramatic footage and eyewitness accounts show residents making urgent escapes and many families facing displacement.