After a devastating explosion in Rotterdam on Monday, 29 January, which left three missing and presumed dead, the authorities had to be deployed last night to control local residents and family members.
The explosion and subsequent fire took place in a car garage in Schammenkamp (Rotterdam), above which people were living in an apartment complex. It still remains unclear what caused the incident.
A total of 44 homes were left uninhabitable and it is not yet safe for authorities to enter the building and search for the missing people.
Apartment complex to be demolished
As families and locals are left waiting for the missing bodies to be recovered, police have made arrangements to have the building demolished, writes the NOS.
While demolition has not yet started, a large crane is currently working to remove debris on the street in front of the building.
As a result, families feel left in the dark, afraid that the bodies of the missing will be further mutilated during the wreckage of their homes.
Body of missing man found by family
With a total of three people missing and the authorities unable to look for them, the affected families and local residents have begun taking matters into their own hands.
Twice yesterday, locals jumped over the fence to look for bodies in the rubble, and one of the likely victims was found there by his family members.
Police swiftly asked them to leave the site, and they did.
Unrest at the explosion site
Understandably, many are left frustrated by the inability to recover the missing, culminating in unrest at the explosion site yesterday evening.
Due to the risks of people entering the site unauthorised, police units were sent to the grounds late last night, and ended up arresting two people.
Police estimate that the search for the two remaining missing persons will take several days.
As an international in the Netherlands, it’s very likely that you arrived here and settled for any accommodation that would take you. It’s also quite likely that you’re paying some very high rent.
But did you know that in the Netherlands, you can complete a check to see if you’re paying too much rent?
Even better, did you know there’s a committee that will help you reduce your rent if this is the case?
Here’s how to check if you are paying too much rent in the Netherlands — and what you can do about it.
Introducing the Huurcommissie
The keyword for you to remember here is Huurcommissie (rental committee).
I had never heard of the Huurcommissie until I had been living here for three years, but the sooner you know about this organisation, the better.
What is the Huurcommissie exactly? According to their website, they are “an impartial and independent organisation that makes an official ruling in disputes between tenants and landlords.”
As a renter, what they can do for you is very important: they can check whether your landlord is asking too much rent from you when compared with the value of your accommodation.
Hol’ up! Before you go any further, you need to determine whether your housing falls within the social or private housing sector. The rental committee can only help you if you’re renting in the social housing sector.
Note that even if you’re renting from a private landlord, you may still fall within the social housing sector. Individual rooms, for example, are always considered social housing. Not sure what applies to you? You can check here.
How can I check whether I’m paying too much rent?
Yes, there are systems in place in the Netherlands to make sure you don’t pay too much rent. Image: Freepik
How it works is simple: the Huurcommissie uses a points system to determine the value of your accommodation.
Points are awarded and added up based on a number of factors, such as:
The size of the rooms
The size of the kitchen, bathroom and shower
The facilities available to you, such as a balcony or garden
Have you determined that the math just ain’t mathing and you’re paying too much rent? You’re not alone — and it’s time to reach out to your landlord.
This part is probably the scariest (or most satisfying, depending on who you are), but the Huurcommissie has your back.
The first step is to write a letter to your landlord proposing that they lower your rent. Not a poet? No problem, the rental committee has a handy model letter that you can use.
What you do next depends on the landlord’s response:
Did they say “Sure, I will lower the rent!”? Then great, the matter is resolved, and there’s no need for the rental committee to get involved.
Are you met with the sound of crickets? Or an angry email that says something along the lines of “You’re lucky to even have a roof over your head, stop eating avocados and buying coffee, and you should easily be able to set aside 60% of your income for rent!!”
Then it’s time for the Huurcomissie to get involved.
My landlord refuses to lower my rent; what will the rental committee do?
If your landlord refuses to lower your rent, the Huurcommissie will begin by carrying out their own Rental Price Check to make sure they reach the same conclusion as you. As part of this check, someone will come and assess your living space.
If they also reach the conclusion that you are paying too much rent, then they will contact the landlord on your behalf and remind them of human rights and basic mathematics.
There’s no saying no to the Huurcommissie, so while your landlord may curse you, they have to reduce your rent.
Fun fact: If the rental committee determines that you are paying too much rent, it’s actually possible to request a refund for all the previous rent you paid. However, this must be handled by Het Juridisch Loket, not the Huurcommissie.
Have you had your Dutch rent reduced? Tell us about the experience in the comments below!
Self-checkouts are popping up at more and more stores around the Netherlands nowadays — but is that a good idea from a business perspective?
As a survey by RTL Nieuws suggests, it might not be.
Why? Well, because about 1 in 14 people (7%) regularly steal while using self-checkouts at supermarkets, drugstores, or department stores. Oops. 👀
Those numbers are even higher for young people aged between 18 and 35, with 11% of respondents admitting to regularly snagging an item or two at the self-checkouts.
But why?
From swiping an expensive piece of parmesan to purposely scanning a cheaper product, the reasons for some Dutchies’ kleptomaniac tendencies vary.
Of those surveyed by RTL Nieuws, 42% of people say they steal to save money, while another 40% say they do it out of protest.
Between inflation and tight budgets, they believe supermarkets make too high of a profit on our essential needs — so, really, it’s the supermarkets that steal from the customers. 🤷♀️
you know who cares about people stealing from self-checkout? no one. no does. there's people that are dying, kimberly
— i can't believe matpat is retiring (@zacharymahabir) January 25, 2024
“I love smoked salmon, but it’s just no longer affordable,” one of the thieves tells RTL Nieuws. “[Stealing] is a simple way to save €4 to €5”.
And what about random checks? They still happen, but they don’t do much to curb thieves’ enthusiasm. Most people just invent an excuse and face no consequences for their attempted theft.
Millions in theft damage
The victim of choice for most thieves? The good ol’ supermarket.
In fact, 97% of stealing happens at Dutch supermarkets, followed by 9% at department stores like HEMA and Action and 5% at drugstores.
And stores are feeling the repercussions.
Last year alone, for example, Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo reported a whopping €100 million in stolen goods. 😳
A major explosion in Rotterdam has left two people injured, three presumed dead, and 44 homes destroyed. The cause of the explosion is still unknown, but the damage is serious.
The explosion occurred last night in a car garage in Schammenkamp, Rotterdam and was so great that the car was blown from the garage into the street.
A devastating fire then broke out.
Injured and feared dead
Two people living above the car garage were injured, one seriously.
“An injured person was immediately brought outside by neighbours and taken to hospital with serious injuries,” a spokesperson for the safety region tells the NOS.
One resident tells RTL Nieuws how the explosion caused his neighbour (and the couch he was sitting on) to fall through the ceiling.
The spokesperson also tells the NOS that three people are missing following the explosion and fire. These people are now presumed dead.
Homes damaged and uninhabitable
While the fire has been extinguished, it is not yet safe to enter the building and search for the missing people. The fire brigade is waiting to search through the rubble for the victims.
A whopping 44 homes have been left with damage so great that it’s not possible for the residents to return.
These people have been given temporary housing in hotels or with family members.
Dutchies have a reason to celebrate this morning as the Netherlands has the second-highest quality of life in the whole WORLD.
On top of that, the Netherlands is the proud host to four of the top 10 cities with the highest quality of life!
Considering factors such as the cost of living, healthcare, climate, and more, Numbeo has compiled data for over 84 countries and 195 cities, placing the land of tulips and bicycles in second place.
Top 10 countries for quality of life
So, who defeated the Netherlands for the top spot? The answer may surprise you:
Rank
Country
1
Luxembourg
2
The Netherlands
3
Iceland
4
Denmark
5
Finland
6
Oman
7
Switzerland
8
Norway
9
Austria
10
Estonia
Luxembourg maintains a comfy eight-point lead ahead of the Netherlands in quality of life, ranking much higher in the Purchasing Power index (no surprise there).
The rest of the top 10 is dominated by other European countries, except for Oman, ranking in sixth place.
Dutch domination in the top 10 cities
In even better news, a whopping FOUR Dutch cities have made the top 10 for quality of life and landed the two top spots:
Rank
City
1
The Hague, The Netherlands
2
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
3
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
4
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
5
Valencia, Spain
6
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
7
Helsinki, Finland
8
Madrid, Spain
9
Vienna, Austria
10
Copenhagen, Denmark
While we love to complain about the housing shortage and overall cost of living, we can’t help but be a little proud that nearly half of the top 10 cities are from the Netherlands.
For the second year in a row, The Hague scored the number one city for the highest quality of life (and we’re still not surprised), while Eindhoven, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam follow in 2nd, 4th, and 6th place.
Luxembourg, Luxembourg also made an appearance in the top three, while the Scandinavian cities seem to be more scarce, only boasting Helsinki, Finland and Copenhagen, Denmark this year.
Are you surprised about these rankings? Tell us in a comment below!
It turns out that “new year, new me” does not apply to the Dutch national rail service, NS. Instead, they’re now coming to us with a warning. Uh-oh.
Yup, the NS has asked train passengers in the Netherlands to prepare for another bad year marked by delays, cancellations, and disruptions.
1 in 10 journeys delayed
If you’re a frequent traveller, you won’t be surprised when I tell you that in 2023, one in ten NS train journeys did not reach their destination at the prescribed ETA.
Needless to say, NS and ProRail did not meet their joint goals for the year. 😬
Why? The companies name a variety of reasons, including work on the rails, renovations of the Schiphol tunnel, sinking tracks in Zeeland, storms, crowds, staff shortages, and speed limits on the high-speed line.
With large power outages, winter weather, and cracked tracks causing problems on the rails in January, it looks like 2024 is going a very similar route. 🚏
It gets worse before it gets better
As an NS spokesperson tells NU.nl, there is a lot of work planned on NS tracks and trains this year — and helaas, it cannot always be done in a way that suits travellers.
Rail work will predominantly take place during the week and during the daytime this year rather than at night and on weekends.
Train maintenance will also take longer than the NS would like due to the fact that there are too few contractors and mechanics.
While the NS is working on resolving its staff shortages, NS and ProRail are aiming for a punctuality of 93.7% in 2024. For reference, it is now at 88.9%.
Dutch rail system works well compared to other countries
Although we all like to complain about the NS, the Netherlands is actually doing very well internationally.
In fact, there are only a few countries with a better functioning rail system than us, including Japan and Switzerland.
How did you experience the NS in 2023? Share your thoughts in the comments!
From April 3, 2024, onwards, budget airline Transavia will start charging passengers extra fees for “large hand luggage”.
Passengers will be asked to pay a €10 one-way fee for all hand luggage that doesn’t fit underneath the seat, including small carry-on suitcases.
If your luggage does fit under the seat in front of you, make sure that it weighs less than 10 kilograms — as otherwise you’ll also have to pay the fee, reports RTL Nieuws.
Covering extra costs
So, why is Transavia doing this? Unsurprisingly, the airline needs the extra income to “deal with the ever-increasing costs.”
For example, Transavia is paying more for emission allowances while maintenance costs for the plane are also increasing.
Rival airlines Ryanair and easyJet have recently stopped allowing free suitcases on board, and it was only a matter of time before Transavia and other budget airlines followed suit.
What do you think of the additional travel costs with Transavia? Tell us about it in a comment below. 👇
It’s time to defrost your sunglasses and ditch the big coats: Sunshine and warm temperatures are coming to the Netherlands this week.
Since winds are coming our way from the southwest, the cold has no real chance in the this week. The result? Maximum temperatures will range between a whopping 9 and 13 degrees Celsius during the day and not fall below 5 degrees at night.
Usually, normal afternoon temperatures at this time of year are around 5 or 6 degrees.
Tuesday, in particular, has a chance of breaking a heat record, with temperatures rising to over 13 degrees in the south of the country. 😳
A dry start and an unruly end
On top of the warm temperatures, the Netherlands can expect a (nearly) rain-free week this week.
If rain does manage to make its way through the clouds, then we’ll only see it falling very faintly.
Of course, all things come to an end, and the Netherlands will return to its regularly scheduled program with many clouds, lots of rain, and strong winds by the end of the week.
A 23-year-old man has died following a firework explosion in The Hague on Wednesday night.
The man was found seriously injured on the Engelenburgstraat in The Hague following a firework explosion at 1:30 AM on January 25. Police now report that the man has died.
Seriously injured
An eyewitness to the aftermath of the explosion tells Omroep West that the injured man lost his hand.
“I saw him lying here on the corner, there was blood everywhere,” she said.
According to another witness, “we heard a very loud bang. When we heard screaming, we knew something was wrong.”
The police have yet to report the exact cause of death.
24-year-old in custody
Both the victim and a second 24-year-old man were arrested for their involvement in the explosion.
The second man remains in custody and an investigation into the explosion continues.
Fewer trains will run the bustling Amsterdam to Rotterdam train route, thanks to cracks on the tracks.
According to a press release by rail operator ProRail, a scan of the Amsterdam-Rotterdam route had revealed structural weaknesses at no less than five points along the journey.
Although further analysis has yet to be done, it is assumed that construction errors have played a part in the tracks’ degradation.
Cancelled trains and longer journeys
As a result of these cracks, it’s now unsafe for trains to continue driving at 160 kilometres per hour on the affected line.
All trains travelling along the route will now need to stick to a conservative speed limit of 120 kilometres per hour.
Helaas, this means that all journeys along the route will now take much longer for commuters.
In addition to this, the current speed reduction will make it impossible for rail operators to run a full timetable — in other words, yep, there will be cancellations.
So what does this mean for us travellers? Well, you can likely expect packed carriages and some cancelled trains along your usual route, at least until all structural issues are resolved.
