Two men suspected in Amsterdam explosion remain jailed; Third person released

The Dutch authorities have released one of three suspects arrested for possible involvement in an explosion at a gym in Amsterdam’s Osdorp early Friday morning, in which seven people were injured. The other two suspects, Amsterdam men aged 24 and 25, remain in custody, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) reported on Monday.

The OM did not say whether the released person is still a suspect in the investigation. Sources previously told Parool that the explosion happened while a group of young men was preparing packages of explosives for ATM bombings in the basement.

The explosion happened at 12:10 a.m. on Friday, blowing a massive hole in a gym located in the annex of an apartment building on Osdorper Ban. Emergency services treated seven wounded people amid the rubble, and hospitalized them, including two with critical injuries. An adjacent apartment building was evacuated, with 400 people temporarily housed in a hotel.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. Forensic investigators could only access the scene on Saturday morning after the emergency services were certain there were no more victims in the rubble.

The OM did not address rumors related to explosives being prepared at the scene for use in various criminal acts. Prosecutors would only say that “at this stage of the investigation, it is still too early to draw conclusions about exactly what happened.” According to the OM, investigators are considering various scenarios, including the possibility that criminal activities took place in the basement of the building.

Evacuated residents were able to return to their homes on Sunday. Repairs to the building could take months.