Antwerp (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): A third fire occurred at the Tulpstraat apartment building in Antwerp, raising arson suspicions. All residents escaped unharmed. Authorities are investigating, and a city engineer is assessing structural safety.
On 25th September there was a fire for the third time in 10 days at the same apartment building on Tulpstraat in Antwerp. A neighbor saw the fire early and quickly called for help, and the emergency services arrived to handle it. All the residents were able to escape safely, and no one got hurt. Now, the residents are receiving support from a service that helps those affected by such incidents. The authorities are investigating the cause of the fires to ensure the safety of everyone living in the building.
What are the implications of suspected arson in Antwerp’s Tulpstraat fires?
According to Kim Bastian, a spokesperson for the Antwerp police there are “suspicions of malice” regarding the recent fires at the Tulpstraat apartment building. Since this is the third fire in 10 days, the authorities are looking into the possibility of arson. To investigate further, a forensic lab and a fire expert will be sent to the scene to find out what caused the fire. These specialists will carefully check the site to collect evidence and see if the fires were intentionally started. Because these incidents keep happening, there is more concern about the safety of the building’s residents, who are now getting help from victim support services.
The damage to the building is very serious, with the second floor completely destroyed by the fire and a lot of damage to the first floor. Because of how bad it is, a city engineer has been called in to check if the building is safe. The engineer will decide if the building can stay up or if it is too unstable, which might mean more evacuations or even tearing it down. It has been said that the results of this check will be very important for figuring out what to do next for the residents who have been displaced and to keep them safe while the investigations continue.
