Eleven killed in fire at Amsterdam airport jail

AMSTERDAM – Fire swept through a detention centre at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport early yesterday, killing 11 illegal immigrants and allowing others to escape from police custody, officials said.

One survivor said some detainees were screaming for help inside their locked cells as the fire erupted in one wing of the building that housed around 350 people. Police said that 15 people had been injured, including police and security guards, from the fire, the cause of which was not immediately clear.Authorities were also searching for an unknown number of other detainees who had taken advantage of the fire to escape the centre, said Michel Bezuijen, who is mayor of Harlemmermeer, which includes Schiphol.”The 11 who died were detainees,” Bezuijen told a news conference with police, fire officers and justice ministry officials at the airport, which lies around 10 kilometres from Amsterdam.”They were illegals in the Netherlands,” said a spokesman for the prosecutors’ office, Martin Bruinsma.Bezuijen said three detainees who escaped the centre were arrested, but it was unclear how many others had also fled.”We have to deduct the 11 dead from the list of detainees and draw up the list of those who are not responding,” he said.The fire broke out around midnight on Wednesday and was brought under control around four hours later.One survivor alleged that the security guards failed to react when the alarm went off.”We remained locked inside.We were shouting at the top of our voices until we were hoarse,” the man, who was not identified, told Dutch Radio 1.He said the detainees were banging on the doors of their cells.Bruinsma however said the emergency services had acted “very quickly.”Bezuijen said the opening of the cell doors could only be done manually, one at a time.Ten or 12 of the cells, in a wing of 24, were destroyed, he said.The mayor said that an independent inquiry would be set up, in addition to the regular judicial inquiry.A European group for the rights of prisoners, EORG, said it would hold its own inquiry.”The way the fire spread quickly from from one cell to another gives rise to questions,” a spokesman for EORG told the Dutch news agency.Press photographers allowed into the site said the roof had collapsed, but walls were only slightly damaged.Bruinsma said around 150 of the 350 people held at the centre, a collection of two-storey buildings, would be transferred.- Nampa-AFPPolice said that 15 people had been injured, including police and security guards, from the fire, the cause of which was not immediately clear.Authorities were also searching for an unknown number of other detainees who had taken advantage of the fire to escape the centre, said Michel Bezuijen, who is mayor of Harlemmermeer, which includes Schiphol.”The 11 who died were detainees,” Bezuijen told a news conference with police, fire officers and justice ministry officials at the airport, which lies around 10 kilometres from Amsterdam.”They were illegals in the Netherlands,” said a spokesman for the prosecutors’ office, Martin Bruinsma.Bezuijen said three detainees who escaped the centre were arrested, but it was unclear how many others had also fled.”We have to deduct the 11 dead from the list of detainees and draw up the list of those who are not responding,” he said.The fire broke out around midnight on Wednesday and was brought under control around four hours later.One survivor alleged that the security guards failed to react when the alarm went off.”We remained locked inside.We were shouting at the top of our voices until we were hoarse,” the man, who was not identified, told Dutch Radio 1.He said the detainees were banging on the doors of their cells.Bruinsma however said the emergency services had acted “very quickly.”Bezuijen said the opening of the cell doors could only be done manually, one at a time.Ten or 12 of the cells, in a wing of 24, were destroyed, he said.The mayor said that an independent inquiry would be set up, in addition to the regular judicial inquiry.A European group for the rights of prisoners, EORG, said it would hold its own inquiry.”The way the fire spread quickly from from one cell to another gives rise to questions,” a spokesman for EORG told the Dutch news agency.Press photographers allowed into the site said the roof had collapsed, but walls were only slightly damaged.Bruinsma said around 150 of the 350 people held at the centre, a collection of two-storey buildings, would be transferred.- Nampa-AFP

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.