Rises a demand for rigorous penalties to combat escalating blast incidents, as announced by Van Weel.
In the past few years, the Netherlands has seen an alarming increase in the number of explosions, particularly in residential areas. The latest incident occurred last Saturday in Purmerend, a commuter town north of Amsterdam, where a blast from "strong fireworks combined with an accelerant" damaged five homes and left one person seriously injured.
Justice Minister David van Weel has expressed his concern over this trend, stating that it's only a matter of time until even worse things happen due to the explosions. In response, van Weel is working on a task force to implement preventive measures, including better communication between local government, police, the prosecution service, and businesses.
The town's mayor, Ellen van Selm, echoes this call for action. She, along with the mayor of Purmerend, has urged for action at a national level to make it harder to obtain explosives. Van Weel agrees, comparing the explosions to hand grenades that are laid at people's doors.
The most recent high-profile explosion occurred in The Hague a week earlier. A section of a three-storey apartment block collapsed, killing six people including three members of a Chinese family, leaving an eight-year-old boy orphaned. Four people have been arrested in connection with this attack on a bridal wear shop.
Police are investigating a potential link between the owner of the bridal shop and one of the four suspects arrested. However, there are no available search results indicating a suspect connected to the large explosion in The Hague or any possible link to the owner of the wedding fashion store.
Interestingly, both the man, identified as Moshtag B., and the shop owner advertised a white Range Rover for sale online before the explosion. Moshtag B. and his lawyer have refused to comment on potential links between B. and the shop owner or the Volkskrant's revelations.
The number of explosions has increased fivefold between 2021 and 2023. Tougher sentences for people convicted of explosive and firework-related offences is another option being considered by van Weel. Van Weel also stated that raising the threshold for such offences would have a deterrent effect.
Van Weel has also clarified that the explosions should not be called firework bombs. He believes that such terminology downplays the severity of the situation. The same car was set on fire and destroyed outside the flats on Tarwekamp on the night of the explosion in The Hague, further highlighting the devastating impact these incidents can have.
As the Netherlands grapples with this rising issue, the task force led by van Weel aims to address the root causes and implement effective solutions to ensure the safety of its citizens.
