ALBAWABA - A fire broke out in a 10 floor residential block in Antwerp, Belgium - leaving at least five dead and several others injured.
The fire broke out just before 10:00am local time - one resident, captured on video, was seen clambering from his balcony through a neighbor’s window in an attempt to escape the fire.
More than 200 people live in the residential block, according to the police. “It's a heavy toll here at Linkeroever,” Spokeswoman Kim Bastiaens told reporters, adding that people are suffering from serious and minor injuries.
"We barricaded ourselves into our flat and waited on the balcony. The fire brigade came to rescue us from the balcony 10 minutes or so later with their ladder." One resident said, describing how thick smoke barred him from leaving his flat.
One person lost their pet cat in the fire, "We tried our utmost to save the cat but unfortunately in the end we were unable to," he said. Firefighters are going door-to-door in a search and rescue mission as the smoke fills the flats and corridors of the buildings.
Belgian PM Bart De Wever described it as a “terrible fire” and added that his thoughts are with the victims and the evacuated residents.
