The massive fire that broke out on Wednesday morning in a ten-story apartment complex in the Linkeroever district of Antwerp, in Belgium, with authorities confirming that there are many fatalities and dozens of injured.

The building, which has been evacuated, housed more than 200 people, and according to police, at least five people have lost their lives, a number that may rise.

According to authorities, several people have been seriously injured and taken to hospitals, while many others suffered minor injuries and received first aid at the scene. 

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“Shortly before 10 a.m., a fire broke out in an apartment building on August Vandermeylelaan in Linkeroever. It quickly became clear that this was a serious fire. There are several seriously injured people and several with minor injuries, all of whom are receiving medical care on the scene. Unfortunately, there are also several fatalities. At this time, the fire department is continuing its search to determine whether there are still people inside the building. “We cannot provide any figures at this time, as the priority right now is to search for victims and provide medical assistance,” said Kim Bastiens, a spokesperson for the Antwerp police district.

Firefighters clarified that the fire broke out on the eighth floor of the building and not on the tenth, as initially reported. When the first crews arrived on the scene, they found that thick smoke had engulfed a large part of the building.

A shocking video captured the moment a man climbed from his balcony to a neighbor’s window to escape the thick black smoke.

JUST IN: Multiple people dead, several others seriously injured after an apartment building fire in Antwerp, Belgium. pic.twitter.com/xBSQ5kTbdO

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“This is a very complex fire,” said a spokesperson for the Antwerp Fire Department. “The fire has not yet been brought under control, but it can no longer spread. That’s good news,” he added.

The fire department is continuing to search for victims in the building, using a list of residents’ names. “We have located more people. Our climbing team has also been mobilized to evacuate people independently of the fire trucks with ladders.”

Source: Protothema.gr