A fire tore through a high-rise apartment building in the Belgian city of Antwerp on Wednesday, killing several people and injuring many others, police said.

The blaze started on the eighth floor of the 10-storey residential building in the Linkeroever district, where more than 200 people live. Thick smoke quickly spread through the building as emergency services rushed to the scene.

Authorities began evacuating residents while urging people living nearby to keep their windows and doors closed and switch off ventilation systems if necessary because of the heavy smoke.

Firefighters continued battling the blaze under challenging conditions, with officials saying the intensity and scale of the fire had complicated rescue and firefighting efforts.

Multiple teams of firefighters, emergency medical personnel and police were deployed to the site, including a specialized drone unit assisting the operation.

Police did not immediately release the exact number of fatalities or provide details on the cause of the fire. The incident remained under investigation.