In brief
A blaze struck a ten‑storey residential building in Antwerp’s Linkeroever district just before 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, sending thick smoke out of the eighth floor. Five residents died and more than a hundred were evacuated, with the fire department rescuing occupants from the balcony and the balcony of a nearby unit. Police say the cause was a technical fault on the ground floor. Belgian King Philippe and Prime Minister Bart De Wever visited the scene, while the Flemish parliament held a minute’s silence. The incident highlights ongoing fire safety challenges in high‑rise apartments.
Early Wednesday morning, a blaze erupted in the eighth floor of a 10‑storey apartment block located on August Vermeylenlaan in Antwerp’s Linkeroever neighbourhood.
Firefighters reported thick smoke billowing from the roof, quickly spreading through the building and making evacuation difficult. More than 200 residents live in the block, and the fire department forced the evacuation of 80 flats.
Witness video captured a man escaping from his balcony by climbing into a neighbour’s doorway and moving away from the smoke cloud.
Police said the fire was caused by a technical problem on the ground‑floor electrical system. Initially, six deaths were reported but the final count was revised to five.
King Philippe travelled to Linkeroever later that day, meeting evictees housed in a nearby care centre and inspecting the fire scene.
Local officials conveyed their sympathy: the Antwerp police spokeswoman Kim Bastiaens noted that several residents suffered serious and minor injuries.
Fire brigade spokesperson Marie de Clercq described the incident as a complex fire, citing poor visibility and dense smoke as obstacles to extinguishment.
Prime Minister Bart De Wever expressed his condolences, stating that the “terrible fire” had taken more than five lives.
The Flemish parliament opened its session in the afternoon and observed a minute of silence for the victims.
Images from the scene show firefighters at the emergency site; smoke continues to rise from the building’s upper levels. Firefighters are seen moving from flat to flat to search for survivors, while residents await rescue on balconies.
