Rotterdam skyscraper complex evacuated over bomb threat
A bomb threat prompted the evacuation of De Rotterdam, a 44-story skyscraper consisting of three different towers in Rotterdam-Zuid. Security personnel working at the building on Wilhelminakade first received the threat, and reported it to authorities, police in the city said. The all-clear was given shortly before 4 p.m. No arrests were immediately announced.
The threat was made just at about 1:40 p.m. Records show the alarm was elevated to a Grip 1 regional emergency about an hour later. "As a precaution, the building is being evacuated and the hundreds of people present are being asked to go home. Emergency services are on hand to assess the situation," police said in a brief statement.
Police quickly cordoned off a portion of the Wilhelminakade near the intersection with the Erasmus Bridge. The nearly 150-meter tall complex is located on the banks of the Nieuwe Maas River near the southeast side of the bridge. It includes residences in the western tower, and a hotel in the eastern tower. The evacuation began with the middle tower where some offices for municipal services are located. This includes the City Management & Urban Development department, according to Rijnmond.
"Following the bomb threat on 'de Rotterdam', the explosives reconnaissance team conducted an investigation. This showed that there is no threat to the property," police said on social media just before 4 p.m. Authorities are still investigating who made the threat.
Under the Grip 1 protocol, all responding personnel are ordered to coordinate under a single incident commander, while more resources are made available to deal with the emergency.
