Wilhelmina tower collapse not caused by concrete decay, initial probe finds
The concrete rot on the sixth floor was not the cause of the collapse of the Wilhelmina Tower, the municipality of Valkenburg announced following an initial inspection. The exact reason the 30-meter-high tower gave way is still under investigation, NOS and L1 Nieuws report.
“During the inspection, the entire floor of the sixth level was found in the rubble,” said Mayor Daan Prevoo. According to investigators, this indicates that concrete rot was not responsible for the collapse.
The mayor urged the public to “stop pointing fingers” over the possible cause of the collapse. “Speculation is coming from all directions. I find that appalling,” he told local broadcaster Heuvelland Vandaag. “There is no consideration for the owners and employees, nor for the people who have been working tirelessly since Sunday morning to determine the cause.”
Prevoo called for patience while experts conduct their investigation. “Right now, the Dutch Safety Board is also involved,” he said. “This is a completely independent body that conducts investigations into incidents to learn from them.”
In 2022, a construction permit was filed with the municipality regarding the concrete rot. Plans to repair the affected floor were already in place, though it was unclear when the work would begin.
No one was injured when the well-known tourist attraction collapsed. It was a stroke of luck, Prevoo told L1 Nieuws, considering the tower was surrounded by a cable car, a toboggan run, and several restaurants. “Had it happened a few hours later, this place would have been full of families,” he said. The tower collapsed around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday.
According to the mayor, the owners and employees of Wilhelmina Tower are deeply shaken. They have sought victim support services “for emotional assistance in coping with this traumatic experience.”
“These people work hard every day to welcome many visitors,” he added. “They have lost something—not just the tower, but also their jobs. The very thing they devoted themselves to daily.”
