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Utrecht Explosion: Police Examine Gas Leak Theory as Safety Board Weighs Own Inquiry

Investigators are still gathering evidence at Visscherssteeg as access is constrained by unstable, shored‑up buildings.

Overview

  • Dutch Safety Board (OVV) teams visited the site Friday and will decide within two weeks whether to open an independent preventive investigation.
  • Forensic police are analyzing traces and checking gas lines, with a gas leak considered the most likely explanation though the cause remains unconfirmed.
  • Network operator Stedin rejects reports of old cast‑iron mains and says the local distribution pipes are plastic and about 30 years old.
  • Mayor Sharon Dijksma says there are no indications of a crime, while the police inquiry into the circumstances continues.
  • Most streets have reopened, about ten residents cannot yet return home, and community support—including GoFundMe and Voor Je Stadsie drives—is helping affected households and businesses.