Ten Maastricht residents allowed to return to houseboats following dam breach evacuation

Ten residents of houseboats on Stuwweg in Maastricht are allowed to return home, the municipality of Maastricht announced on Friday. Last week on Wednesday residents of over 30 houseboats on Stuwweg were evacuated following a dam breach, leading to one houseboat to drift away and collide with a bridge. Since then, this bridge has been at risk of collapsing.

The Rijkswaterstaat then constructed a temporary emergency dam in the waterway. Now that this emergency dam is obstructing water flow, residents of the boats located south of this temporary structure can return home.

The Rijkswaterstaat has yet to start repairing the partially destroyed dam further north. Although military helicopters dropped piles of stones on it, water continues to leak through the dam. Consequently, the water level north of the emergency dam is so low that around 20 houseboats in that area are partially or completely grounded.

The residents of these boats are unable to return yet. They have been accommodated in a hotel or are staying with family members.

The Rijkswaterstaat said it plans to construct a second temporary emergency dam next to the damaged one soon. "After that, we can start lifting the partially sunken houseboats from the bottom," Rijkswaterstaat stated.