One dead, one arrested after fireworks mishap

The man who died Wednesday night during a fireworks mishap in The Hague, has been identified as Mike Vrickx, a 32-year-old former youthworker from Westlandse Monster who jokingly called himself Mike 'Hardcore'.

Mike apparently was an enthusiast who liked to toy around with fireworks. And so was his friend Tom C. who had joined Mike in the basement where the deadly accident happened. Tom (35) narrowly survived with bruises and burn wounds, but after an explosion rocked the neighborhood his friend Mike (32) was lying on the floor of the basement, dead. According to Algemeen Dagblad daily, police are still investigating what happened exactly in the basement, but their investigations have so far led them to Tom’s house, where they found more explosive material. It was detonated at a safe distance. Mike’s house is being kept under surveillance, but neighbors have meanwhile been allowed back into their houses. Tom has been detained on charges relating to the explosion and his friend’s death. “It’s a tragic situation. This will be something he will carry with him the rest of his life,” said a police spokesman. Neighbors say they always suspected Mike was toying with illegal fireworks. They often heard loud bangs coming from his apartment. “Two weeks ago the basement will full of smoke,” a neighbor told the paper, shocked by the incident.