Marofer news agency
In association with
Broadcasting West
NOS News•Saturday February 3, 01:33•Adjusted Saturday February 3, 10:37
The fire brigade was pelted and attacked last night during firefighting work in Poeldijk, the police reported. Ultimately, the riot police were called in to push back ‘large groups of people’. No one has been arrested so far.
No one was injured in the fire and riots. However, soot particles have ended up all over the village in the municipality of Westland. All outdoor sports competitions today have therefore been canceled, reports Broadcasting West.
The fire broke out last night around 9 p.m. in the shed of a boat company on an industrial estate. There were many spectators from the moment the fire brigade arrived. While the police cordoned off the area, they forced their way in and began to hinder the fire brigade. Various objects were also allegedly thrown.
The riot police established order with police dogs and chased the attackers away with shields and batons. “The fire brigade intends to file a report,” a police spokesperson said this morning. He does not rule out that the report will still lead to arrests.
The fire, the cause of which is still unknown, spread to an adjacent building materials store at the end of the evening. The boat trade shed collapsed around midnight. Only during the night did the fire brigade manage to get the fire under control, but the fire was still not out around 9.30 am this morning.
Images of the fire and the deployment of the riot police:
ME deployed at a major fire in Westland
During the fire, the fire brigade advised residents to keep windows and doors closed. That advice was withdrawn later tonight.
“No toxic substances were released during the fire,” the municipality said. There are ‘soot parts or debris’ everywhere. The advice is to only remove them while wearing gloves and to ensure that they are not picked up by children.
At a sports complex on the other side of the village, 3 kilometers from the site of the fire, all football and archery competitions have been canceled today. “The municipality will first have to issue the ‘safe’ sign before outdoor sports can be played at the sports park again,” the Verburch football association said.