Six people were killed after a fire broke out at a residential building in the Belgian city of Antwerp on Wednesday morning, police said.
The fire broke out on the eighth floor of the residential building in Antwerp's Linkeroever neighbourhood, which houses more than 200 people, police said, adding that thick smoke was seen billowing from the structure, Reuters reported.
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Police on Antwerp fire
"We ask local residents affected by the smoke to close windows and doors and, if necessary, switch off ventilation," police added.
The local fire department received a call at 9:53 a.m. (0753 GMT) about a "raging fire" on the eighth floor of a 10-storey apartment building in Antwerp's Linkeroever neighbourhood in northern Belgium, police said.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the number of casualties as rescue operations remain underway.
"At this moment, we cannot provide figures on that yet, because priorities currently lie elsewhere," local police spokesperson Kim Bastiaens told reporters. "So we are primarily looking for victims right now."
Several fire brigades from different districts, along with ambulances and other emergency response teams, have been deployed to the scene.
{{/usCountry}}Several fire brigades from different districts, along with ambulances and other emergency response teams, have been deployed to the scene.
{{/usCountry}}Police urged nearby residents affected by the smoke to remain indoors.
"We asked local residents affected by the smoke to close windows and doors and, if necessary, switch off ventilation," police added.
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Residents on the Antwerp fire
Residents described a chaotic evacuation as thick smoke quickly filled the building.
"First the electricity went out, three minutes later we got a fire alarm. By then, there was already smoke in the hallways", Geert Dewulf, who lives on the 10th floor, told 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."
Linkeroever is a residential district on the left bank of the Scheldt River, across from Antwerp's city centre.
The fire comes amid a string of major blazes in Belgium in recent weeks, including a warehouse fire in Brussels.