Seven injured in major explosion at Amsterdam fitness centre

Seven people have been injured, one seriously, following an explosion and major fire in a fitness studio next to a block of flats in the west of Amsterdam on Thursday night. A further 400 people living in the complex have been evacuated, local officials said.

The gym next to the Osdorper Ban is open 24 hours a day. As yet it is unclear how many people were in the gym at the time and officials say the number of injured may increase. Sniffer dogs were brought in on Friday morning to hunt for other victims.

The explosion was reported to the emergency services shortly after midnight and was heard widely, local broadcaster AT5 reported. It took until the early hours of the morning for the fire to be brought under control.

The cause of the blast has not yet been established but police, the fire brigade and explosives experts are all involved in the investigation, AT5 said. Photos on local media show huge holes blasted into the brickwork of the sports complex.

“We are not ruling anything out at the moment,” a spokesman for the local safety board said. “The focus at the moment is on helping those affected.”

People living next to the complex have been advised to keep their windows closed because of the smoke.

The owner of the gym is reported as saying that he could see in camera footage that the explosion came from under the floor. In the cellar are pipes, an electricity transformer and storage space for the people living in the apartments.

“No-one knows exactly what has happened and the investigation is ongoing,” he is quoted as saying by the Parool. “I would ask everyone not to speculate or spread sensationalism.”

Fences have been placed around the area surrounding the gym and housing complex while the investigation continues.