Six people were injured last night in a fire in a porch apartment on Schoenerstraat in Den Helder. Asbestos may also have been released during the fire.
The first report of the fire in the apartment came in just after midnight. This quickly became a problem and due to the risk of skipping and casualties, it was quickly scaled up to Grip-1. This means that coordination between the emergency services is necessary.
The rest of the apartment was evacuated by the fire brigade, the North Holland North Safety Region reported. Residents were removed from the balcony with an aerial platform because they could not safely leave the building via the stairwell.
Six people taken to hospital
The fire injured six people so badly that they had to be taken to hospital. Another five people were checked at the scene by ambulance personnel, but did not have to be taken to hospital.
The fire brigade had the fire in the house under control around 1.45 am. Five surrounding flats suffered significant damage from the smoke, meaning that the residents of these homes could not sleep at home. They have been accommodated in a hotel.
Possible asbestos released
Later last night it turned out that asbestos may also have been released during the fire, the safety region said. As a precaution, the front of the apartment has therefore been cordoned off with tape. It is being investigated whether it actually concerns asbestos. Nothing is known at this time about the cause of the fire.
