Heavy fireworks cause explosions, van set ablaze in Kerkdriel

Residents in Kerkdriel were shaken Saturday evening when explosions from heavy fireworks erupted near a flat on Ipperakkeren at 10:40 p.m., audible as far away as Hedel, seven kilometers away. The fireworks were set off next to a company van, which had been set on fire, authorities and witnesses reported to Omroep Gelderland.

Witnesses said the van had been stolen elsewhere in Kerkdriel before the attack. Several men wearing ski masks were seen lighting large fireworks and setting the vehicle ablaze. The perpetrators reportedly fled the scene in a getaway car waiting nearby.

The fire was quickly brought under control by the Kerkdriel fire department, assisted by a water truck from Hedel. Multiple police units also arrived at the scene. Local residents compared the scene to a war zone to Omroep Gelderland.

The incident follows an earlier vehicle fire in Kerkdriel, which occurred in the night from Friday to Saturday on Tiendweg, just a few streets away.

Neighbors reported seeing a man in a black hoodie on security footage near the time of that fire. It is currently unclear whether the two incidents are connected.