Utrecht city center fire under control; No known missing persons, search underway
Firefighters in Utrecht managed to get a fire raging in the city center under control, the emergency services office said on Thursday night. Four people suffered minor injuries in the immediate aftermath. A spokesperson said that the search can now begin for people who may still be buried under the rubble, as several buildings collapsed. Utrecht Mayor Sharon Dijksma also stated at a press conference that nobody has been reported missing, and the incident was more likely to be linked to a gas leak than a criminal act.
The fire broke out on Visscherssteeg after one or several explosions around 3:30 p.m., a spokesperson from Veiligheidsregio Utrecht told NL Times. The cause has not been definitively determined, but there were no signs that an illegal drug lab was present, and terrorism was not suspected. Witnesses had indicated a smell of natural gas at about the same time of the incident.
"The fire is now out. The fire department is now fully focused on searching the affected buildings," Veiligheidsregio Utrecht wrote in an update at 9:15 p.m. "An initial search has already taken place, but because several buildings are not stable, each building is being carefully reassessed before further operations are possible."
The enormous explosion caused extensive damage in the immediate vicinity, and could be felt by people several hundred meters away. Dijksma remarked that it was quite surprising the people who were hurt suffered minor injuries only. "People really had a guardian angel on their shoulders," the mayor said.
Two of the injured people were treated at the scene and were not hospitalized. Two others were transported to UMC Utrecht and treated at that hospital. They were being kept for observation.
A total of four people were checked during the incident: two were checked on the scene and did not require hospitalization. Two other people were transported to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
The most affected streets are Visschersteeg, Mariaplaats, and Boterstraat. An investigation into accessing those buildings was underway. "Residents of Visschersteeg, Springweg, and Strosteeg are unlikely to be able to return home tonight. Residents of the houses between Mariaplaats and Walsteeg will also not be able to enter their homes for the time being," said the emergency services office.
"Residents can report to the reception point at Hotel Karel V to find out whether and when they can return home or not." Some 100 people were at the hotel earlier in the evening. Dijksma said those affected would receive shelter for as long as necessary.
