Antwerp apartment fire kills six after ground-floor technical failure

Antwerp,UPDATED: Jul 1, 2026 19:14 IST

At least six people were killed and many others were injured on Wednesday after a fire broke out at an apartment block on the outskirts of the Belgian city of Antwerp, police said. The blaze, which sent large plumes of smoke into the air, led to a major emergency response and the evacuation of the building.

Police said the fire was caused by a technical failure on the ground floor of the block, which houses more than 200 people across 80 apartments in Antwerp's Linkeroever neighbourhood. The top floors of the 10-storey building appeared to be the worst affected, while nearby residents were told to keep their windows and doors closed and, if needed, switch off ventilators because of the smoke.

Those evacuated from the building were taken to a local shelter. Firefighters fought the blaze in difficult conditions because of its size and intensity, police said. Several teams of first responders and police were sent to the site, including a specialised drone unit.

Television images from the scene showed a man on an upper floor surrounded by smoke and leaning over a balcony in an effort to get fresh air, before moving towards a nearby window. A medical emergency plan was activated to prevent nearby hospitals from being overwhelmed by the victims.

An Associated Press photographer at the scene said the smoke had reduced by early afternoon, though many first responders were still present. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a former mayor of Antwerp, said his "thoughts are with the victims and the evacuated residents of the terrible fire on Linkeroever".

"My deep appreciation goes out to the emergency services who are striving to help the many affected people as quickly and safely as possible, and who are working hard to bring the fire under control," he said in a post on social media. The fire at the Antwerp apartment block left at least six people dead, injured many others, and prompted a large rescue and evacuation effort.

With PTI Inputs

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