“Multiple individuals have lost their lives in a continuing fire incident at a 10-story apartment complex in Antwerp, Belgium.
Emergency services are actively engaged in a large-scale rescue operation following a fire outbreak at the August Vermeylenlaan building, which accommodates over 200 residents in the Linkeroever area.
The fire department has indicated that the fire originated on the eighth floor. Authorities have confirmed the loss of multiple lives and injuries among the residents.
Geert Dewulf, a resident, recounted to Belgian public television the challenge of escaping thick smoke that hindered their exit from the flat. Dewulf described barricading themselves inside and being rescued by the fire brigade using a ladder from the balcony.
The evacuation of the 10-story building, housing approximately 200 people, is currently underway.
Local residents have been advised to keep windows and doors shut and to switch off ventilators if necessary due to the heavy smoke in the vicinity.
Antwerp police reported that a tragic fire on the eighth floor of the apartment block, where more than 200 individuals reside in the Linkeroever neighborhood, has resulted in several fatalities and numerous injuries.”
