Intense scenes unfolded in Antwerp, Belgium today, after a major fire in a ten-storey apartment block left up to five people dead, several injured and hundreds displaced from their homes.

Shortly after 2pm local time, more than four hours after the blaze broke out, a firefighter abseiled from the roof of the building to rescue a resident trapped on a ninth-floor balcony, as thick smoke continued to engulf much of the block.

The fire began at 9.53am, when the Antwerp fire service received an emergency call about a blaze at an apartment building in the Linkeroever neighbourhood. The ten-storey block, built in the late 1960s and home to more than 200 residents in around 80 flats, was quickly filled with smoke.

In the first hours after the alarm was raised, there was confusion over where the fire had started. Initial reports pointed to the upper floors, first the tenth and later the eighth. Police later confirmed that the blaze had started on the ground floor.

The exact cause remains under investigation. Residents reported hearing a loud explosion, while others referred to recent work on the building’s electrical system. Authorities said all possibilities would remain under review until the investigation is complete, although early indications pointed to a possible technical fault on the ground floor.

Dramatic rescues as smoke fills the building

The firefighting operation took place in extremely difficult conditions, with dense smoke sharply reducing visibility inside the building.

Videos filmed by residents showed one man trying to escape by climbing from his balcony to a neighbouring one, tens of metres above the ground. He was eventually able to reach safety.

Strong firefighting units from neighbouring areas joined the operation, along with a drone team.

More than 200 residents of the apartment block were evacuated, as were around 60 people from a neighbouring building.

Scenes of anguish unfolded around the cordoned-off area, as relatives tried to find out what had happened to loved ones.

One resident from the third floor said he had been unable to locate his wife and feared she was trapped inside their flat. Others described escaping at the last minute and helping neighbours leave apartments already filling with smoke.

Among those rescued was Bob Cools, the 92-year-old former mayor of Antwerp, who was brought down from his balcony in a special rescue cage and taken to hospital as a precaution.

Five dead as investigation continues

As the hours passed, authorities confirmed the death toll from the fire. Initial reports referred to multiple fatalities, while for a brief period there were reports of a sixth victim. Police later corrected the figure to five dead.

The cause of the blaze is being investigated by the judicial authorities, fire service experts, a medical examiner and a fire investigator. Early assessments point to a possible technical problem on the ground floor, although this has not yet been formally confirmed as the definitive cause.

Residents who were not injured were temporarily housed at a nearby care centre. Most remain unable to return home, awaiting further information on the condition of the building and the circumstances behind the deadly fire.