A large part of a shopping centre in Heerhugowaard has been evacuated after supermarket staff discovered a massive crack in the floor.

The supermarket, which belongs to the Dekamarkt chain, is on top of an underground car park and a further investigation by staff showed several cracks in the ceiling, prompting fears of a collapse.

“One of the supermarket staff noticed a discrepancy in the tiles,” a fire brigade spokesman told NH Nieuws. “The crack turned out to run from one end of the supermarket to the other,” he said.

The Middenwaard shopping centre has some 150 shops. The Dekamarkt, Action, Bruna and Intertoys as well as the car park itself have been closed until further notice. Architects and the builder of the complex are investigating the cracks. All the other shops are not connected to the site and will remain open.

In May all the ramps of the multi-storey car park attached to the St Antonius hospital in Nieuwegein collapsed. No one was hurt in the event.

The AD reported in 2017 that the floor’s safety had been checked after the collapse of the car park at Eindhoven airport, but that it was found to be safe.

That car park collapsed while under construction because of heat stress exacerbated by a design fault, an investigation concluded.

As yet it is unclear what material was used in the construction of the car park at the shopping centre.