Four found wounded and one dead in fire in student complex Diemen
A person was found dead in the fire that broke out at night at a student residence complex in Diemen last week. A police spokesperson says it might have been arson.
A 27-year-old man was found dead in the blaze that broke out on the ground floor of a student residence complex last week on the Rode Kruislaan in Diemen. Four others were injured. The student complex, built in 1972, has 182 student residences. 143 of these were rented out, many to UvA students. Residents were given shelter in the city hall on the D.J. Den Hartoglaan.
Jente Buskes (17, Media & Culture, UvA) lives on the first floor above the room where the fire broke out. Luckily she wasn’t home at the time. ‘The smoke and flames blackened my window, which is broken. The soot is everywhere. Apart from that, and the smell, everything seems okay: I took my laptop and it’s still working.’
The majority of the students have since returned to their accommodation. Housing association De Key has asked them to be extra careful – especially in the kitchen – to prevent unnecessary fire alerts.
Investigation
The fire started on Wednesday 19 July around 03.30. The municipality of Diemen has opened an investigation into how the deceased and one of the wounded were only found hours after the firefighters had already evacuated the residents. Deputy mayor Lex Scholten: ‘People were left behind. We want to know how that’s possible.’
A police spokesperson has said it might have been arson. The police ask any witnesses to come forward.
