Explosion rocks Utrecht city center, Firefighters battling blaze; At least one hurt
Dozens of first responders raced to the scene of an explosion reported in the city center of Utrecht. The blast just before 3:30 p.m. led to a major fire on the historic, narrow street, which is dotted with older, single-family homes. At least one person was injured, a spokesperson for emergency services office Veiligheidsregio Utrecht told ANP.
It was not immediately clear how many people were injured in the incident. "A fire broke out in a house on Visschersteeg," the regional emergency services office said. Callers from all over the immediate area called emergency services to alert them of an explosion.
Broken glass and debris littered the street. Rescuers also evacuated homes and businesses on Mariaplaats and Springweg.
At least a half-dozen ambulances were sent to the scene, and a medical trauma team was dispatched to the area by helicopter. Police began to cordon off the area, while fire department workers tried to tackle the flames.
Soon after, firefighters elevated the alarm, reporting a very large fire. Authorities scaled the call to a Grip 2 regional emergency, a protocol where all responding personnel report to a single commanding officer at the scene, while a team sets up at an off-site location to coordinate the disaster response for people affected by the incident.
A group of people gathered to watch the situation unfold, but rescue workers were concerned this could interfere with there job. "Numerous units have been called in to assist. Everyone is therefore asked to give emergency responders space and not to approach the incident area," the emergency services office stated.
UMC Utrecht has activated its Calamity Hospital, which can rapidly accommodate a large number of casualties. The facility is purpose-built to scale up to full operational capacity within half an hour during disasters or other large-scale emergencies.
Volunteers from the Central Netherlands region have been summoned by the Red Cross to assist at the Calamity Hospital. Alongside hospital support, an emergency response team has been deployed to provide aid in Utrecht’s city center.
