Holland Casino fire not arson: Groningen mayor

There are no indications that arson was involved in a massive fire that destroyed the Holland Casino in Groningen on Sunday, mayor Peter den Oudsten said on Tuesday. The police are therefore halting their investigation. RTL Nieuws reports.

"There is currently no reason to think that the fire was set", the mayor said. Another reason for the police halting the investigation, is that the building is not safe to enter. "The risk is too big", according to Den Oudsten. According to the police, the fire was likely caused by a technical fault.

The building will carefully be demolished as soon as possible, Den Oudsten said. Once this is done, the fire department hopes to find out more about how the fire started and why it spread so quickly.

Asbestos was found around the burnt building, but not enough to endanger human health, according to the municipality. Nevertheless, a number of local residents are still staying in hotels. "The residents are allowed to go home, but it was up to them to decide if they wanted to. There are people who prefer staying in a hotel", a spokesperson for the municipality said to the broadcaster.