Mayor of Utrecht town dies at age 57

Mayor Marc Witteman of the municipality of Stichtse Vecht in the province of Utrecht passed away on Monday night from the effects of lung cancer. He was 57, the municipality said on Facebook.

Witteman announced in April last year that he was diagnosed with cancer. He continued working as mayor for almost 18 months until his health forced him to step down on August 1st. Yvonne van Mastrigt took over as acting mayor.

The municipal council is "deeply affected" by Witteman's death. "Connecting, decisive, accessible, innovative and honest: that is how he continues to inspire us. We sympathize intensely with his wife and children and wish them a lot of strength", Van Mastrigt said.