Drug lab may be tied to Rotterdam building explosion that left 3 dead; First arrest made

Police investigating the massive explosion and fire in an apartment building on Schammenkamp in Rotterdam said they found evidence that a 34-year-old man may have been manufacturing drugs on the residential block. The Rotterdam resident was arrested on Saturday, and police said more arrests are possible.

An explosion that could be heard from miles away rocked the Zuidwijk district in Rotterdam at about 8:30 p.m. Three people who were missing after the explosion were found dead in the rubble in the days that followed. The incident also left one person critically injured, and another with less serious wounds. An update on their condition has not been provided.

"While securing trace evidence, investigators came across objects that could be related to the production of narcotics. As a result, the police arrested the suspect. The police are investigating whether the objects found could have been the cause of the explosion," police said on Saturday evening.

During a press conference a day earlier, authorities would not comment on observations by journalists and witnesses that noted that jerrycans of hydrochloric acid and acetone were found among the rubble, except to say that they could have been used professionally by the repair and odd-jobs business that was based there.

At the same time, the two chemicals can be used as raw materials to produce ecstasy, cocaine and heroin. Hydrocholoric acid can also be used in the production of methamphetamine. Residents said they noticed a smell like gas at some point before the explosion, the Public Prosecution Service confirmed. Measurements taken at the scene could not identify the presence of any gas.

The explosion is believed to have happened in a ground-floor garage under the apartments. The blast was powerful enough to blow a van out of the garage. it was followed by a major fire that proved difficult to extinguish. It was not until the following morning that the fire was extinguished.

Once authorities found the remains of the last victim on Friday morning, investigators fully turned their focus on the cause of the explosion and fire. "The investigation into the enormous explosion is ongoing, and the police would like to get in touch with people who may know more about what happened at the Schammenkamp," police said.