A loud bang was heard in the street around 1:30 am. Officers who responded to the explosion found a seriously injured man. After treatment on the street, the man was rushed to hospital. “According to bystanders, the man lost both hands due to the explosion,” reports emergency site Regio15.
Engelenburgstraat and a large part of the adjacent Steijnlaan were closed after the incident. An Explosives Safety Team Leader (TEV) from the police has been deployed to investigate. According to bystanders, fireworks were the cause of the explosion, but the police cannot yet confirm this. “We are investigating the circumstances,” the police said.
According to disaster site Regio15, the man was standing near Steijnlaan with an explosive in his hand. “The intention was probably to detonate the explosive at a home.”
Major cities such as The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht and surrounding municipalities have been suffering from a wave of explosions since last year. In the second half of 2023, the wave of explosions was no longer limited to large cities in the Randstad. After July, houses, business premises and catering establishments, especially in North Brabant and Limburg, were also targeted. It shows from a count by the ANP based on our own reporting and that of the police.