Fire department action investigated in fatal fire in Diemen flat

An external investigation will soon be launched into whether the fire department checked all homes in a Diemen apartment building while evacuating it due to a fire on Wednesday morning, Diemen mayor Lex Scholten said on Wednesday afternoon, RTL Nieuws reports.

The fire broke out around 3:45 a.m. in the apartment building on Rode Kruislaan. Initially it was said that three people were injured, one seriously. Later on Wednesday it was announced that a body and another seriously injured person was found. These two victims were found by the police only after the fire was under control.

"Evidently people were left behind in the building during the evacuation. We wonder how that can be", Scholten said, according to the broadcaster. "I've agreed with the fire officer that we are going to evaluate this firmly."

It's not yet clear who will be doing this investigation.

The police already launched their own investigation into the cause of the fire. Detectives believe that arson may have been involved.

A police escort took most residents inside the building on Wednesday night so that they could collect some personal belongings, NOS reports. The ground floor apartments where the fire started and the 12th floor apartments where the body was found, were unaccessible due to investigation.