Two bodies found in burnt-out van after A2 collision near Nieuwegein

A severe traffic accident on the A2 highway near Nieuwegein early Saturday morning resulted in both a truck and a van catching fire, leading to a complete closure of the road in the southbound direction. Police confirmed Saturday morning that two bodies were found inside the burned-out van. The truck driver sustained minor injuries. The A2 between the Oudenrijn interchange and Nieuwegein is expected to remain closed in the southbound direction until 7 p.m., according to Rijkswaterstaat.

The incident occurred between the Oudenrijn interchange and Nieuwegein. Authorities received the first report at 4:15 a.m. Fire crews and emergency responders arrived swiftly at the scene, where the truck driver was rescued with only minor injuries.

Uncertainty surrounded the van for hours as it was completely destroyed by fire, making it unclear if anyone was inside. “Emergency services are still searching for possible occupants of the van,” a spokesperson for the safety region initially stated.

On Saturday morning, police confirmed that a deceased individual was found inside the van. The vehicle has been transported to a police facility for further investigation. The identity of the deceased has not yet been released.

The fire was severe enough for officials to escalate the response level due to difficulties with water supply. Firefighters managed to bring the flames under control, but they remained on-site to extinguish any remaining hot spots. A crane was deployed to recover the truck, but authorities have not provided an estimate for when the road will reopen.

The safety region has strongly urged motorists to avoid the area, as traffic disruptions are expected to last for an extended period. While the entire southbound side of the A2 remains closed, one lane in the northbound direction has also been shut down due to the severity of the accident and recovery operations.