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Car Fires Sweep Dutch Cities as Police Probe Suspected Fireworks Blast in Rotterdam

Explosives callouts for illegal fireworks highlight seasonal risks facing emergency services.

Overview

  • Multiple vehicles burned overnight in Rotterdam, Utrecht, Den Bosch, Emmen and Smilde, with no injuries reported.
  • In Rotterdam’s Feijenoord district, an Audi TT suffered a hood-blast that responders suspect was caused by heavy fireworks placed under the engine; police secured evidence and the investigation continues.
  • The EOD detonated modified illegal fireworks seized in Zwijndrecht, and specialists were called to examine explosive materials and fireworks found in a home in Heeze.
  • A phone shop on Nieuwe Binnenweg in Rotterdam was robbed around 18:30, with four or five suspects fleeing in a small dark car after a weapon threat and taking a small amount of cash; police are searching for the group.
  • Omroep Flevoland reports a preliminary 18 traffic deaths from 17 crashes in 2025, with final CBS figures expected in the spring.