Bunnik office building evacuated after 21 people fell ill

The fire department evacuated an office building in Bunnik on Monday after at least 21 people became unwell. There is no danger to the environment, the local safety office said on Twitter. Firefighters are taking measurements to find out what caused the symptoms, NU.nl reports.

Around 120 people work in the office building. They were given shelter at a nearby hotel while firefighters perform their work. One person had to go to hospital. The rest were treated by paramedics at the scene.

What caused the employees to fall ill is not yet clear. There was a fire in the area, but it was extinguished some time before their symptoms appeared.

According to RTV Utrecht, the fire on Schoudermantel started around 9:30 a.m. on Monday. The adjacent office building was evacuated at around 11:15 p.m. The broadcaster speculates that smoke from the fire entered the building through the ventilation system. Arson is suspected in the fire.