One person has died in a flat fire in the West Flemish coastal village of Wenduine. The fire started at around 7am on Tuesday in the 5th-floor flat on the Josephine Charlotte Square, not far from the seafront.
Jurgen Verlinde of the Zone 1 Fire Service told VRT News that “This was a fire in a 5th floor flat. When we arrived, it was clear that the fire was very intense. We sent 3 fire engines. The fire is now under control”.
"The flat was very badly damaged and one person died where the fire broke out. We don’t have any more information for the moment. The identity of the victim is not yet known. 2 other people were taken to hospital with mild smoke inhalation”.
12 other people that were staying in the building were evacuated. The upper floors of the building have been rendered uninhabitable by the fire. The cause of the fire is not yet clear. The prosecutor's office has appointed a fire expert and a forensics expert to investigate the exact circumstances surrounding the blaze.