Video: Part of Gilze-Rijen air base evacuated after social media video shows an intruder
Updated at 17:45 to say that the investigation has concluded.
A portion of Gilze-Rijen air base was evacuated, and nearly all the hundreds of employees were sent home Monday afternoon after a video circulating on social media appeared to show a man walking across the military installation, BN DeStem reported. About three hours after the situation unfolded, the Marechaussee reported that the investigation was complete.
The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, local police, and the Defense Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit responded. The situation was escalated to a Grip 1 regional emergency just after 3 p.m., the lowest of five response levels for an incident that has the potential to affect a wider area.
A police expert in hazardous materials and a senior fire department leader were among those asked to head out to the scene. The Grip 1 protocol requires all responding workers to organize under a single incident commander.
A Marechaussee spokesperson said the footage was likely an old video, possibly several years old. Nevertheless, investigators immediately focused on the locations shown in the clip — areas near installations on the base where the man appeared to be walking. Teams conducted extensive searches of those sites using drones and sniffer dogs but found nothing suspicious. “The coast is safe,” the spokesperson said.
During the operation, a small part of an office building was evacuated. As employees left the base, they faced strict controls. Vehicles were allowed to depart one by one at the main entrance and the western exit near Molenschot. Officers checked identification, searched trunks, and looked under hoods, causing lines of cars at both gates.
Defense helicopters are scheduled to depart from Gilze-Rijen on Tuesday, Liberation Day, to visit liberation festivals.
