The morning rush hour was particularly difficult in the Rotterdam area on Wednesday after a car on the A20 highway was struck, spun out, and was struck again. Several problems were also reported by the NS national railway, particularly with trains to and from Schiphol Airport. The upcoming rush hour periods were expected to be hectic with many people expected to try and get an early jump on the Christmas holidays.
The number of explosion incidents is nearly three times as high as it was a year ago. The most explosions have been registered by the Rotterdam police unit, followed by Amsterdam, the Hague, and Noord-Holland, a police spokesperson said. Amongst the Rotterdam numbers is the recent explosions in Vlaardingen.
There was another explosion early on Friday morning at a commercial property in Vlaardingen owned by a plumber who has been the target of several other explosions this year. The Friday blast concerns a garage at the intersection of Wilhelminastraat and Koninginnestraat, where there was also an explosion either late on Tuesday or early on Wednesday morning. Security measures are being expanded in the Vlaardingen district of Oostwijk as the result of the latest incident.