Rotterdam man, 20, arrested after 4th explosion in city in four days

The police arrested a 20-year-old man from Rotterdam early Friday morning for an explosion at a home on Cortenbachsingel in Rotterdam-Beverwaard. It was the second explosion on that street in two days and the fourth explosion in Rotterdam in four days.

The explosion happened at around 2:45 a.m. on Friday. No one got hurt. The suspect was arrested on the street in the neighborhood sometime later.

A little more than 24 hours earlier, at 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, an explosive went off two houses away. A 71-year-old man got hurt, Rijnmond reports. He heard noises from his front door and was climbing down the stairs to check what was going on when the explosive detonated. He sustained relatively minor injuries to his leg.

The second explosion on Cortenbachsingel is the fourth explosion in Rotterdam in four days. So far this year, there have been 67 explosions targeting homes and businesses in the Rotterdam-Rijnmond region. Of these, 48 happened in Rotterdam.

So far, the police have arrested at least 50 suspects in connection with the blasts, the police told Rijnmond.

Explosions in Arnhem shopping center

There were also two explosions at a shopping center on Elderveldplein in Arnhem at 3:45 a.m. on Friday. As far as is known, no one got hurt.

On Thursday morning, suspicious packages were found at two restaurants in the shopping center - Sofram and Diner 66. Mayor Ahmed Marcouch decided to close the two eateries for two weeks as a precaution.

“For me, the assignment in Arnhem is always to offer residents, shopkeepers, and visitors as much safety as possible,” Marcouch said, according to NU.nl. “Our goal is to restore peace and public order in the neighborhood.”