According to a reporter on site, the bang could be heard as far away as Castricum. After the explosion, the area was cordoned off. “Fortunately, no one was injured in the explosion,” a police spokesperson said. Nothing was stolen because the perpetrators did not manage to enter the building.
The impact of the explosion was great. The windows of at least three surrounding shops in the street were shattered, and several homes above the shops were also damaged. At a pharmacy about 35 meters from the jeweler, the wooden planks of the canopy came loose. In addition, the shop of an adjacent butcher was so full of glass shards that he could not display his meat products, the reporter said.
A man who lives above the jeweler and wants to remain anonymous tells a photographer on location that he was woken up by the loud bang and felt the entire house shaking. “It sounded like an echo. My first thought was that it was an earthquake, but I soon suspected that it was an explosion,” he says.
Several homes evacuated
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service arrived on site and secured traces. The fire brigade inspected the building for possible danger of collapse. Some residents had to leave their homes temporarily. According to a police spokesperson, they will probably be able to return home during the morning.
The police have not yet arrested any suspects. After the explosion, a local resident saw a person kick the window of the jeweler, who then fled on a scooter. The police have started an investigation into the circumstances of the incident and are calling on witnesses to come forward.