Deadly Rotterdam explosion possibly caused by a drug lab, one resident arrested

The investigation is still ongoing.

Police have reported that a drug lab could have caused the deadly explosion of a Rotterdam apartment complex on January 30.

Debris from the explosion shows evidence of materials that could be used to produce narcotic drugs, reports the NOS.

The police have now arrested a 34-year-old Rotterdam man, who is suspected of producing the drugs. Sources report that he was also a tenant of the apartment complex.

The suspect in question

The suspect, Jalal O., was still in the building just before the explosion, along with his nephew and a friend.

After the incident, he stated that he knew nothing about its cause: “We made tea electrically. It looks like a gas explosion. I don’t know. I am going crazy.”

The Rotterdammer was also one of the people who jumped over the fence to retrieve the remains of one of the three victims, his nephew, from under the rubble.

Evidence of drug production

On the scene, journalists spotted jerrycans with acetone and hydrochloric acid in the debris, substances that could be used in drug production.

The investigation of the debris was temporarily stopped after they found barrels leaking an unknown liquid that began to smoke.

The fire brigade has since continued the investigation into the cause of the explosion and the fire.

All victims recovered

Until a few days ago, it was not safe for emergency services to enter the area due to unstable debris that could lead the building to further collapse.

Authorities decided to demolish the building from top to bottom, but this caused some unrest among residents, who were worried that the missing bodies would be disfigured in the process.

In the meantime, all three victims have been recovered from the rubble.

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Feature Image:Depositphotos
Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
Third culture kid Katrien has been working as a writer and editor at DutchReview for over two years, originally moving to the Netherlands as a tween. Equipped with a Bachelor’s in communication and media and a Master’s in political communication, she’s here to stay for her passion for writing, whether it’s current Dutch affairs, the energy market, or universities. Just like the Dutch, Katrien lives by her agenda and enjoys the occasional frietje met mayo — she just wishes she could grow tall, too.

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