5 dead in major fire at block of flats on Antwerp’s Left Bank (VIDEO)

More than 200 people live in the building.

Antwerp Fire Service was in charge of the evacuation. “Our drone team is also on site and we are receiving assistance from neighbouring fire and emergency services” a spokesperson told VRT.

Antwerp Mayor Els van Doesburg (Flemish nationalist N-VA) is at the scene.

The fire service asked people to avoid the area, while their operation is in progress. A BE-alert has also been sent out, asking people to keep their windows and doors closed.

At one point there were reports that six people had been killed, but the police now confirm the correct figure is five.

Police spokesperson Kim Bastiaens speaks of a heavy toll; the fire is believed to have started on the ground floor

“The fire’s claimed a heavy toll: at least five people have died and there are also a number of people with serious and minor injuries,” said police spokesperson Kim Bastiaens. “The fire service is still searching for any other possible victims, but it is difficult to estimate how many people were at home when the fire broke out.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but according to Bastiaens, it has already been established that the fire started on the ground floor. One resident pointed to work on the block's electricity network that was underway at the time. 

A fire investigator has been appointed and the investigation into the cause of the blaze is ongoing. However, according to the property manager, human error is thought to be the cause. “Three people were installing a new electrical box,” the property manager told VRT NEWS. “A water pipe was hit during drilling; I can’t see what else could have caused the fire”.

Later the Antwerp Fire Service said it believed the fire was caused by a technical fault on the ground floor. The public prosecutor’s office is on the case and an investigating judge has been appointed to investigate the cause further. 

Building evacuated, residents being accommodated in a residential care home

By early afternoon the fire service was still working flat out to extinguish the fire. The Medical Intervention Plan (MIP) is in force to ensure that medical assistance runs smoothly.

“Our crews have evacuated the building,” Marie De Clercq of the Antwerp Fire Service told the Belga news agency earlier. “They are currently still working hard to extinguish the fire and are searching for any other possible victims.”

The evacuated residents who were not injured are being accommodated in a nearby residential care home.

“This is a very complex fire with poor visibility and heavy smoke inside the building. That makes it more difficult to extinguish,” said Marie De Clercq.

“Teams are also checking the entire building to see if anyone is still inside and whether they can be safely brought out. That may take some time.”

The fire was extinguished by 16:30 CEST.