Local residents of the Stalpaertstraat in Alkmaar all sat up in bed last night after an explosion at a house in their street. The normally quiet neighborhood is in turmoil today. Talk about an explosive. A black thread that has been found. “This is just an attack,” says a neighbor.
A company is hammering the front door and windows shut this morning after last night’s explosion. Neighbors gather outside to talk about what exactly happened last night.
Simone and her housemate heard a loud bang around 4:00 am. “The house was shaking all over.” They investigate and find a broken lamp. But otherwise they see nothing suspicious in their house. Moments later, they see lights flashing everywhere in the street across the street. Things are wrong with the neighbors.
“It’s the weekend, so you might think someone drunk”
Morris and Shoni live next door to the house where the explosion went off. “I thought it was those bastards who set off fireworks,” says Morris. The police pounded on the window moments later. “Everyone had to leave for a while, because explosives were found here with a wire to the street.”
But the couple stays put. “You don’t expect something like that. It’s the weekend, so you might think someone drunk,” says Shoni.
Seems targeted
Windows and the front door are broken at the house where the explosion is. The three residents who are in the house at that time are released with a fright. The police are investigating and an explosives scout finally declares everything safe. No trace of suspects.
“It seems targeted,” says Morris. Neighbor Marco also lives with that idea. “It’s really bizarre. This is just an attack.”
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He knows the people of the stricken house superficially. “They are hardworking people. Nothing criminal, I put my hands in the fire for that.” Another neighbor acknowledges this. “It’s a family, with a friendly father and a nice mother. Just normal.”
A community police officer is walking down the street this morning. He talks to local residents. They are left shocked and with many question marks. “I recently moved here,” says Simone, who doesn’t really know the area very well yet. “You think: suppose it had been with us. Every sound I heard last night, I thought: oh that’s something.”
“It’s too sad for words,” says Marco. “We’ll let the affected neighbors rest for a while.”
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