Audi seen speeding away from explosion that destroyed Amsterdam gym, injuring at least 7
Two witnesses saw young people flee the scene and an Audi speed away shortly after an explosion destroyed a gym in Amsterdam Nieuw-West overnight, the Telegraaf reported. The emergency services can’t rule out that there are still people trapped in the rubble, a spokesperson for the local security office, Veiligheidsregio Amsterdam Amstelland, told NL Times after NOS reported that there are indications that people are trapped.
The explosion happened at around 12:15 a.m. at a 24-hour gym and fitness center that is in the annex of an apartment building on Osodorper Ban. The blast left a massive hole in the gym’s wall. It is unclear how many people were inside at the time. At least seven people were injured, and the emergency services are still searching the rubble.
Two witnesses told the Telegraaf that they saw an Audi speed away from the scene shortly after the blast. The low-clearance car was going extremely fast over the speed bumps, the witnesses said. Later in the morning, an Audi was seized on Johan Jongkindstraat, the newspaper reported. It appeared to be an RS3 with German license plates.
A local living near the affected apartment building told NL Times that they heard an argument seconds before the explosion and saw two people running away. Witnesses also saw police investigating a black Volkswagen at the scene.
So far, the authorities have said nothing about the cause of the explosion, only telling the media that the police’s focus is currently on the rescue operation, not the investigation.
Explosives and explosions are not uncommon in the neighborhood. There are frequent reports of ATM bombings or explosives left at residential homes, according to NOS.
A woman who lived in the area for over four decades told NL Times that the neighborhood has become more dangerous in recent years. “Young boys and men hang out day and night by the playground, drinking or doing drugs, and never respecting my husband or me when we ask them to quiet down at night.”
She said last night’s explosion sounded like a bomb. “It was so loud, my sons heard it in the city center and called me to see if I was okay,” she said. “It was genuinely scary. It feels like things got worse around here.”
The owner of the gym said on social media that he has security footage showing that the blast came “from under our floor.” According to him, gas pipes, a transformer room, and residents’ storage areas are located on the ground floor beneath the gym.
Grid operator Liander has said that it has no indications that it was a gas explosion, but added that more investigation would be needed to prove this conclusively.
Meanwhile, the search for more potential victims continues. Emergency services are using a crane to carefully take the building apart while they search.
The search could take hours yet, the Veiligheidsregio spokesperson said to NOS. “This operation is taking a very long time because we are trying to take the building apart piece by piece,” she told the broadcaster. “Because we are safely dismantling the building almost brick by brick, this could take at least until 6:00 p.m.”
The residents of the apartment building will not be able to return to their homes tonight, the municipality reported at 1:30 p.m. Inspection has shown that the apartment building is structurally sound, but the investigation into what happened will take some time yet.
