Antwerp apartment fire that killed five women was caused by damaged water pipe during electrical work, prosecutor confirms
A short circuit from a water leak triggered the blaze that swept through a Linkeroever apartment block last week, killing five women.
Cause confirmed
The deadly fire in an apartment building on Antwerp's left bank was caused by a copper water pipe that was damaged during the installation of a new electrical panel, the Antwerp public prosecutor's office confirmed on Wednesday. Water from the leak seeped into the building's power supply, causing a short circuit and extremely high temperatures that ignited the fire. The flames then spread rapidly to the upper floors via the utility shaft.
Victims
Five women died in the fire: four residents of the building and one visitor. The prosecutor's office has provisionally classified the incident as unintentional arson and unintentional manslaughter.
Investigation ongoing
The judicial investigation, led by an examining magistrate, is still in full swing. A fire expert and the criminal investigation department are involved. The prosecutor stressed that the findings are preliminary and the inquiry continues.
Briefing for families
On Tuesday evening, the prosecutor's office held an information session for the relatives of the victims and the building's residents. The examining magistrate, the fire expert and detectives outlined the initial investigation results. Specialist victim support services were present to assist those attending.
