Two found dead in car that drove off Rotterdam bridge into harbor
Two people were found dead early Monday after a car drove off the open Calandbrug bridge and into the water in the Botlek area of Rotterdam, police said.
The incident happened around 12:30 a.m., when the bridge was open and its barriers were down. The car, coming from the direction of the Maasvlakte, passed the closed gates and drove off the raised bridge deck into the water. Emergency services, including a trauma helicopter, were dispatched to the scene.
Firefighters searched the water using drones and divers but found no survivors during the initial operation. At approximately 8:15 a.m., the submerged car was located and pulled from the water. The bodies of two occupants were found inside. Their identities have not been released.
“Around 1:00 a.m., a car drove off the Calandbrug. Around 8:15 a.m., the vehicle was pulled from the water. Two deceased individuals were found inside,” police in Rotterdam confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We are still investigating how the car ended up in the water.”
Photos of the vehicle suggest it may be connected to AenF, a Rotterdam-based hospitality staffing agency. AenF told NL Times it could not confirm whether the car belonged to the company and said only that “police are conducting an investigation.”
Police said it is too early to determine the cause of the crash and that all possibilities remain open. “All options are being kept open,” a police spokesperson told regional broadcaster Rijnmond.
The Calandbrug, located in Rotterdam’s industrial Botlek district, was open at the time to allow ship traffic through.
