Amsterdam neighborhood rocked by loud explosion heard in Amsterdam-Oost
Residents in an Amsterdam-Oost neighborhood were left shaken after a loud explosion went off at an Amsterdam apartment building just before 5:30 p.m. Fire broke out at about the same time, prompting paramedics to check several people at the scene. A police helicopter briefly circled the Indische Buurt and may first responders raced to the scene after the emergency alarm was scaled up to a "large fire," according to the emergency services office.
Witnesses at the scene reported seeing someone on a scooter racing through the neighborhood seconds before a loud blast was heard. That person's face was covered, and they appeared to throw something towards the building.
One area resident told NL Times that the explosion was so strong it blew out windows from the ground floor up to the fourth floor. There were others who expressed concern since there are many families living in the densely populated neighborhood, where people were beginning to gather for viewing parties for the Dutch team's World Cup match at 7 p.m.
While police officers were busy canvassing the scene to speak with witnesses standing on the sidewalks on a hot day, fire fighters quickly extinguished any remnants of a fire. Smoke lingered in the air for a short time after the apparent explosion.
It feels as if it is less safe everywhere, considering the recent explosion just over a week ago in Amsterdam’s Osdorp neighborhood, one woman told NL Times. That incident left two people critically wounded, both of whom are suspects in the criminal investigation. Five others were also hospitalized, and hundreds were forced to evacuate their homes.
“But, hey, I guess that's Amsterdam,” the woman said.
