Piano rescued from Tarwekamp explosion wreckage
A grand piano was retrieved intact from the ruins of an apartment building on Tarwekamp, which was devastated by a powerful explosion earlier this month, Omroep West reports. The piano belonged to Albert Brussee, 78, a retired piano teacher who narrowly escaped the blast that destroyed his home and others.
Brussee, who lived next to the epicenter of the explosion, described the chaos of the early morning incident. “I looked toward the longer part of the building, and the roof was completely slanted downward,” he said. As flames began to spread, Brussee knew he needed to act quickly. Armed with a flashlight, he stepped onto his balcony and signaled emergency responders. “I waved it around, and they saw me,” he said. Minutes later, rescuers arrived with a ladder to bring him to safety.
Though his life was spared, Brussee lost nearly all his belongings in the explosion. Among them were handwritten notes for a book he had been working on for three decades. “Terrible,” he said of the loss. “I don’t have the age to start everything over again.”
One item, however, survived the destruction: his grand piano. Carefully wrapped in a mattress to prevent further damage, the piano was extracted from the wreckage using a crane. Photos released by the Municipality of The Hague show the instrument being lifted from the rubble of Brussee’s first-floor apartment. Despite its ordeal, the piano was in “reasonably good condition,” according to those involved in the recovery.
Brussee’s temporary housing situation has been alleviated by friends and neighbors who have offered him a place to stay. “I plan to rotate between those who have offered me accommodation,” he said.
