Explosion and fire in Amsterdam waste management facility proving difficult to tackle

Firefighters were sent to a fire and report of an explosion at the Afval Energie Bedrijf (AEB), the city's primary waste management, recycling and hazardous waste disposal facility located in the Westelijk Havengebied district. The incident took place in a building on the Australiëhavenweg, but firefighters were having trouble getting into the building to examine the damage and extinguish any flames or smoldering debris.

The explosion was first reported at 12:54 p.m. on Wednesday, and the response was quickly scaled up with police also dispatched to scene. However, 90 minutes later, the extent of the damage was unclear. "There was indeed an explosion in a room at the AEB, but it is not safe for the fire brigade to enter," a spokesperson for the fire service told AT5. "We do know that there are no injured and nobody is missing."

The fire department said a fire extinguishing system inside the building collapsed, and that at 3:15 p.m. they were still unable to enter the location where the development of smoke had intensified. Because firefighters could not enter the facility, they could not say what caused the explosion or how the fire started. "That is a concern for later, we are first looking at how we can fight the fire," a spokesperson told AT5. It remained a dangerous situation inside, a spokesperson also told news service ANP.

Anyone bothered by smoke should shut their windows and doors, and turn off their ventilation systems, the fire brigade said on Twitter. The prevailing wind in Amsterdam was out of the northeast, according to the KNMI, meaning those in Geuzenveld-Slotermeer, Lutkemeer, Ookmeer, Halfweg, Zwanenburg and Lijnden were most at risk of disturbance.

However, in the first two hours after the explosion was initially reported, a great deal of smoke had not been released into the open air, the fire department said.