One killed, 5 hurt in Amsterdam apartment building fire; Around 100 homes uninhabitable
One person died and five others got hurt in a big fire at an apartment complex in Amsterdam Nieuw-West on Thursday evening. Firefighters discovered the body in one of the apartments about three hours after the fire broke out, Veiligheidsregio Amsterdam-Amstelland reported. The police are investigating possible criminal offenses. The fire left all of the around 100 homes in the building uninhabitable.
Paramedics checked two residents and two firefighters for symptoms of smoke inhalation at the scene. A third firefighter was taken to the hospital with heat exhaustion, said the Veiligheidsregio, the office covering the local emergency services.
The emergency services responded to the first report of the fire on Harry Koningsbergerstraat at around 7:00 p.m. Fire brigades from the Zaanstreek-Waterland and Kennemerland regions also deployed units to help fight the fire. The police cordoned off part of the street while firefighters evacuated all the homes in the building, rescuing some residents from their balconies with a ladder truck.
A spokesperson for the Veiligheidsregio told NH Nieuws that the fire started in an apartment on the third floor. The cause is still unknown. The fire alarm went off, and residents fled the building. The residents of another third-floor apartment left a pan on the stove, which caused a second fire.
At 10:12 p.m., the Veiligheidsregio reported that the fire was out. Firefighters discovered the deceased person a few minutes earlier.
Around 90 people were evacuated from their homes. They were taken in by the football club AVV Sloterdijk. When it became clear that they wouldn’t be able to return home, the city organized hotel accommodation for those who couldn’t find a place to stay with family or friends.
“All apartments are currently uninhabitable due to smoke, soot, water, or glass damage,” the Veiligheidsregio said. “Many windows were broken to clear the smoke from the building. This loose glass could create dangerous situations. Some apartments also currently have no power or water.”
