A fire tore through an apartment block in the Belgian port city of Antwerp in the early hours of Tuesday, claiming the lives of five people. Emergency services responded to the blaze in the Borgerhout district just before 3 a.m., with flames quickly engulfing several floors of the residential building.
Of the five victims, three were found dead at the scene, while two others died later in hospital. Fourteen people were rescued from the building, with seven suffering injuries including smoke inhalation and burns. One firefighter was also hospitalised after being injured during the operation.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Local prosecutor Annemie Serlippens said that initial indications suggest the blaze may have started on the ground floor, but no official cause has been established. The building, which housed around 30 residents, was not equipped with a sprinkler system, though it did have smoke detectors, according to officials.
Firefighters battled the flames for three hours before bringing the fire under control. Witnesses described scenes of panic as residents fled the building, some climbing out of windows to escape the smoke. The deceased have not yet been formally identified, but authorities believe they were all residents of the block.
Mayor Bart De Wever expressed his condolences, calling the incident a "tragedy for the city" and promising a thorough investigation. The local community has rallied to support survivors, with a nearby church offering shelter and donations of clothing and food.
The tragedy has raised questions about fire safety in older apartment buildings in Antwerp, a city with a dense housing stock. Activists are calling for stricter enforcement of regulations, particularly for buildings housing low-income families. As Sarah Jenkins, I see this as a stark reminder that safety standards often lag behind in poorer communities, a pattern seen across Europe. The working class families who live in such buildings are the ones who pay the price when corners are cut on upkeep and fire prevention.
Belgium has seen a series of deadly fires in recent years. In 2016, a fire in a Brussels apartment block killed six. The Antwerp fire will now add to pressure on authorities to improve fire safety measures nationwide. Our thoughts are with those affected.
