Boy stores 130 kilograms of fireworks in garage next to house; 3 injured by illegal fireworks
The Police arrested a boy from Roosendaal in Brabant, who stored 130 kilos of partially professional fireworks in a garage next to a house on Zundertseweg. The police found the warehouse on Tuesday after a report of a possible fireworks stash.
That same afternoon, police also arrested a 13-year-old boy in Zevenbergen. Law enforcement officers saw that the boy was setting off fireworks in the street, although this is only allowed on New Year's Eve. The police then visited his parent’s house and found 20 kilos of professional fireworks there. The boy was later referred to the organization HALT focused on short-term interventions to prevent and punish juvenile crime. His parents received official charges for storing fireworks.
In Zevenbergschen Hoek, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service EOD had to come to the rescue to dismantle assembled fireworks. A 23-year-old man made about 25 kilos of fireworks himself in his apartment, which were highly explosive. A specialized company disposed of the fireworks later.
Furthermore, three people, including a child, were slightly injured by an explosion in a house on Van der Schellingstraat in Rotterdam Noord on Tuesday evening. According to police, heavy illegal fireworks were set off.
Around 11:30 p.m., the police received a report of the explosion. At that time, the residents, a 61-year-old man, a 49-year-old woman and five children, were in the house. The woman and the two children suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
According to the police, the explosion caused "tremendous devastation", but would not say how badly the property was damaged. However, the house is still habitable despite the damage.
Reporting by ANP