Explosion in Purmerend probably on the ground floor, local residents shocked

According to the safety region, the fire that raged last night in a house in Purmerend probably started after an explosion on the ground floor. The spokesperson cannot say with certainty that the explosion was in the house.

A fire then broke out and spread to the attic of the terraced house. The fire spread to two adjacent homes. Images show flames shooting out of the roof.

It is not known what caused the explosion, but police say it may have been intentional. A gas leak as the cause is excluded because most houses in the row do not have a gas connection.

One person was seriously injured and taken to hospital. It is not known how the person is doing, the safety region says. Six people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. They did not have to go to the hospital.

The houses to the left and right of the house where the explosion was also have fire damage. In addition, a number of other homes have smoke and water damage. People from five houses had to be accommodated at other locations. It is examined whether they can temporarily stay with family, for example, or whether they have to stay in a hotel for a night. One house can probably be occupied again sooner.

The mayor of Purmerend, Ellen van Selm, visited the street where it happened this morning. According to her, local residents are very shocked. “Explosions have a lot of impact. If you experience that, you will be very shocked. Local residents now help each other, also in processing these events.” The municipality is helping to provide shelter for the affected local residents.

The explosion and fire also affect other people in the area. The fire caused a district heating pipe to burn, causing the heating to no longer work in around 75 to 100 homes. The safety region expects that the homes will have district heating again during the afternoon.

A local resident who drove to his house in Purmerend last night saw a flash of light. “It was a round red and orange glowing ball.” He didn’t immediately know what it was, but he wondered if it might have been fireworks or an attack. “While there are no crazy things going on in this neighborhood.”

Another local resident tells Autovantra that the area where it happened is not a safe neighborhood. “This is not the first time this has happened in Purmerend. A year ago there was also a burglary on a square nearby. There is a lot of crime and arguments among each other here.”

Another local resident endorses this. “A while ago we had something like that in another street, also with all kinds of explosions. That house was then evacuated.”

According to another local resident, several cameras have recently been installed by the police for safety in the neighborhood.