Explosion in Rotterdam home injures man; Cause of blast not known

A man was injured in an explosion in a house in Rotterdam early Sunday morning. It is still unclear what exactly caused the explosion, police said. Investigators were not sure if an explosive was thrown into the home, or if the blast was caused by something inside the house.

The explosion happened around 2:20 a.m. Sunday in a house on Piet Paaltjensplein in the Spangen district. The victim was found unresponsive and was taken to a hospital. There was no fire, but surrounding homes were evacuated as a precaution.

At about the same time, guns were fired at a home in the nearby Bospolder-Tussendijken district on Jan Kobellstraat, Rijnmond reported. No one was injured, but many bullets struck the home’s windows and walls. Authorities said they were looking into the possibility the two incidents were connected.

The explosion on Piet Paaltjensplein was the second in the vicinity within the past 24 hours. On Saturday at around 4 a.m., an explosive was thrown through the window of a nearby building on Jan Luykenstraat in the same district. The building, which serves as a children’s daycare on weekdays, was severely damaged.

No one has been arrested yet, Rijnmond reports. Police are calling on witnesses and anyone with video footage of the incident to come forward.