At least six people died Wednesday in a fire that swept through a 10-story apartment building in Antwerp, Belgium, police reported.
Rescuers were seen lowering residents from the side of the building using ropes. Survivors recounted being trapped inside their apartments until emergency services arrived shortly after the fire began in the morning.
"First the electricity went out. Three minutes later we got a fire alarm. By then, there was already smoke in the hallways," said Geert Dewulf, a resident on the 10th floor, to Belgian broadcaster VRTNWS. "We tried to get down on our own but we couldn’t manage it anymore. We barricaded ourselves in our apartment and waited on the terrace. About 10 minutes later, the fire department came to rescue us from the terrace with their fire ladder."
Another resident, who identified himself as Gerard, described assisting a neighbor out of a smoke-filled apartment but was unable to locate her cat.
The building is believed to have housed approximately 200 people. The number of injured has not yet been released.
Multiple fire brigades from various districts responded to the incident, along with ambulances and other emergency crews. Police advised nearby residents to keep their doors and windows closed to prevent smoke inhalation.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever expressed his condolences to the victims on X. The incident follows a series of significant fires in Belgium in recent weeks, including one at a warehouse in Brussels.