Vlaardingen explosion was murder-suicide: police

An explosion in a Vlaardingen apartment building on Friday, in which two people were killed, was a murder-suicide, the police said in a statement. Investigation showed that the 43-year-old man killed his 38-year-old wife, and then caused the explosion in which he died, the police said.

The blast happened in an apartment on Van der Waalsstraat just before 9:00 a.m. on Friday. The explosion blew off the facade of the home, and cased a small fire that firefighters managed to quickly get under control. The bodies of the two residents were found in the wreckage. 

The police did not give any further details. The victims' relatives are receiving report from aid organizations, the police said. 

The other residents of the building were evacuated while building inspectors investigated whether the explosion caused structural damage. The building was deemed safe and the residents were allowed to return to their homes.