ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) — Several people have been killed and many hurt in a fire in an apartment block in the Belgian city of Antwerp, police said Wednesday.
The blaze broke out on the eighth floor of the building, where more than 200 people live, in the city’s Linkeroever neighborhood and lots of smoke was billowing out, Antwerp police said in a statement.
An evacuation of the 10-story building was underway. Local residents were warned to keep their windows and doors closed and, if needed, to turn off any ventilators due to the amount of smoke in the air.
Firefighters were battling the blaze in difficult conditions due to its size and intensity, police said. Several teams of first responders and police are at the site, including a specialized drone unit.