Police: explosion at Covid testing centre near Amsterdam probably intentional

Windows were shattered in the blast and the metal remains of the explosive were found at the front of the building.

Police said that there was an explosion at Covid-19 testing centre near Amsterdam. It looked like intentionally happened and targeted before the site opened. The explosion on Bovenkarspel happened at 6.55 am and caused no injuries.

Police: explosion at Covid testing centre near Amsterdam probably intentional

Windows shattered in the blast, the metal remains of the explosive were found at the front of the building. A reported said that a security guard was inside the testing centre when the explosive went off but was not injured.

Police spokesman Menno Hartenberg said, “We don’t know yet exactly what exploded, the explosives experts must first investigate. What we’re saying is that something like that doesn’t just happen by accident, it has to be laid.”

Ook een bus van defensie is aangekomen bij de testlocatie van de GGD in Bovenkarspel. Zou er nog een explosief zitten, of uit voorzorg? #NHNieuws pic.twitter.com/JgVSjYvpWB

— Maarten Edelenbosch (@maartenedel) March 3, 2021

The region around Bovenkarspel is currently suffering one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the Netherlands. It has 181 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with around 27 per 100,000 nationally. One hospital has been forced to send patients to other provinces due to a lack of space in its intensive care units.

The incident also comes shortly before national elections on 17 March, which are widely seen as a referendum on the government’s handling of the pandemic. According to opinion polls, Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s conservative VVD Party is likely to remain the largest.

After several months in lockdown, Netherlands have been eased. The non-essential store allowed residents to accept a small number of visitors by appointment. However, a curfew from 9 pm to 4.30 a.m remains in place.