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Utrecht City-Centre Explosions: Streets Reopen as Probe Focuses on Suspected Gas Leak

Authorities are stabilizing unsafe buildings, restoring essential services and housing evacuees as specialists work to confirm the blast’s cause.

Overview

  • Parts of the cordon were lifted Friday, including Boterstraat, Zadelstraat, Mariaplaats and a section of Visschersplein, though the impact zone remains largely closed and structurally unsafe.
  • Officials say a gas-related blast is the leading hypothesis but not yet confirmed, and grid operator Stedin reports it had no active works at the location.
  • Emergency crews report only minor injuries and no fatalities or missing persons, and searches found no one trapped under debris.
  • Stichting Salvage and contractor Qbuild began emergency repairs such as boarding shattered windows, with roughly 150 damage reports logged and the most damaged properties still off-limits.
  • The municipality arranged hotel accommodation for displaced residents, supervised retrievals of essentials from affected homes and began limited reconnection of water, gas and electricity where safe.