Antwerp Mayor Els Van Doesburg has said that about sixteen people were injured in the fire. None of those hurt are believed to be in life-threatening condition.

At least five people have died in the fire, police said earlier. Mayor Van Doesburg described the incident as "a pitch-black day" for Antwerp.

Firefighters have managed to completely extinguish the fire after it claimed the lives of at least five people.

King Philippe of Belgium is due to visit the scene of the disaster in the early evening to express his condolences.

• At 9:53 a.m. on Wednesday morning, the Antwerp fire department received a report that a fire had broken out in an apartment building on August Vermeylenlaan, reportedly caued by a technical problem on the ground floor.
• Emergency services now say they have finished evacuating the blog of flats, where more than 200 people live, according to police.
• So far five people are confirmed dead in the blaze, following earlier reports that a sixth person had died, this has since been revised down to five.
• Fire crews have now moved their efforts from evacuating survivors to searching for further victims amid fears that the number of dead could rise. There are also multiple people injured, many due to smoke inhalation.
• Residents are currently being housed in a reception centre across the road while crews work in the apartment block with more than ten fire engines deployed.

Video shows fire crews working at the site of the fire at an apartment building on August Vermeylenlaan in Antwerp.

So far five people have been confirmed to have died in the blaze, according to local police - it was earlier reported that six people had passed away but this has since been revised down.

The blaze was caused by a technical failure on the ground floor of the building, Antwerp Police said in a statement.

Police had previously said the fire started on the eighth floor. The top floors of the 10-storey block appear to have been worst affected.

The building was evacuated, and nearby residents were told to keep their windows and doors closed and, if necessary, turn off ventilation due to the amount of smoke in the air. Those evacuated were taken to a local shelter.

At least six people have been killed and many others injured in a fire in a block of flats in the Belgian city of Antwerp, police said.

Antwerp Police said firefighters battled the blaze in difficult conditions due to its size and intensity. Several teams of first responders were dispatched to the scene, including a specialised drone unit.

At least five people have died and many others have been injured in a fire that broke out at a building in the Linkeroever area of Antwerp, police have confirmed.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a former mayor of Antwerp, said in a post on social media that his "thoughts are with the victims and the evacuated residents of the terrible fire on Linkeroever".

"My deep appreciation goes out to the emergency services who are striving to help the many affected people as quickly and safely as possible, and who are working hard to bring the fire under control," he said.

"At 9.53am [8.53am BST], we were called out to a fire in a block of flats in Linkeroever," said a spokesperson for the Antwerp Fire Department.

"When our teams arrived, they already saw a thick plume of smoke. It was clear that it was an intense fire. Firefighters are currently still working to get everyone out. We do not know how many people are inside or how many need to be brought out."

Belgium's Medical Intervention Plan has been activated.

The emergency protocol is triggered when a major incident threatens to overwhelm the normal capacity of the emergency services.

Additional medical personnel and resources are being deployed, including extra ambulances, Mobile Emergency Groups and teams from the Red Cross, according to Flemish newspaper De Morgen.

More than 10 fire engines have been deployed, with crews from Antwerp Fire Department and other fire brigades tackling the blaze.

The fire has not yet been brought under control.

A map shows August Vermeylenlaan street, where the block of flats affected by the fire is located. Police said the building is home to around 200 people.

Linkeroever is a large area in eastern Antwerp, dotted with high-rise residential buildings and bordering a major park where outdoor summer music concerts are held.

Antwerp Police said: "We ⁠ask local residents affected by the smoke to close windows and doors ⁠and, if necessary, switch off ventilation."

A number of fire brigades from different districts are at the scene.

The Antwerp Fire Department received a call at 9.53am CEST (8.53am BST) reporting a "raging fire" on the eighth floor of a 10-storey block of flats in Antwerp's Linkeroever area, police said.

The fire broke out on the eighth floor(Image: X)

Resident Geert Dewulf told Belgian public broadcaster VRT: "First the electricity went out. Three minutes later, we got a fire alarm. By then, there was already smoke in the hallways.

"We tried to get down on our own, but we couldn't manage it anymore. We barricaded ourselves into our flat and waited on the balcony.

"About 10 minutes later, the fire brigade came to rescue us from the balcony with their fire ladder."

An evacuation of the 10-storey block of flats is under way. Police said around 200 people live in the building.

The building is located in the Linkeroever area of Antwerp

Several people have been killed and others injured in a fire in a block of flats in the Belgian city of Antwerp, police said.

The blaze broke out on the eighth floor of the building in the city’s Linkeroever neighbourhood, according to a police statement. Police said around 200 people live in the block.