Third suspect arrested in connection with Groningen blast

Police in Groningen have arrested a third suspect on Wednesday in connection with an explosion at an apartment building on Friday evening that left two people injured.

According to police, a 27-year-old Groningen local was taken into custody for his suspected role in the explosion. The cause of the blast was still under investigation, but a day later police found an "explosive substance" at the apartment where the incident took place.

It was powerful enough to blow out the facade of a first-floor apartment when it happened around 7:30 p.m. last Friday. The victims were in the apartment on Wibenaheerd in Groningen's Beijum-Oost neighborhood at the time.

Investigators had initially attributed the cause to a faulty natural gas connection in the building, but after having received a tip on Saturday, they returned to the scene to to inspect the damage more closely.

All three suspects were still in custody on Wednesday. They were being kept in solitary confinement, and not allowed contact with anyone other than their attorneys.

About 50 people were displaced twice, first because of the explosion, and second when police found more explosive material at the scene.