Inicio | News | Technology | Intervention in the Alphen aan de Rijn mast The Cellnex transmission tower in Alphen aan de Rijn was successfully replaced, with the support of VolkerWessels Telecom. Using several large cranes, the new tower, which is approximately 40 metres high, was placed on the 135-metre-high #Cellnextower. The transmission tower is used for radio broadcasts, telephony and mobile internet, among other things – these were virtually uninterrupted during the replacement. Thanks to the hard work of all those involved and the sunny late summer days, the replacement went smoothly and according to schedule. Transmission towers like this are well maintained to comply with all laws and regulations, but after decades they are often due for replacement. Minor maintenance will be carried out in the coming week. 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Photo: Het Groene Hart van HollandYou may have seen this city’s apple-shaped bike shed while en route to Utrecht or Den Bosch from an NS carriage If you’ve never made it further than its train station there’s plenty in Alphen aan den Rijn that’s worth sinking your teeth into Alphen aan den Rijn’s first inhabitants arrived about 2,000 years ago but things really started taking off once the Romans showed up a large fort once located in what is now the city centre It helped defend the empire’s northern border a community of civilians and former soldiers emerged around the edges of the fort This era was relatively peaceful and the Romans built the first bridge over the Oude Rijn as Albaniana became an increasingly vital trading centre for the region That all came to an end when raiders came calling in 270 AD Important archaeological artefacts were recovered in the nearby town of Zwammerdam in the late 1960s and 1970s among them large portions of six ships dating back to the 2nd century AD Alphen aan den Rijn now celebrates the region’s Roman heritage with colourful signs in its shopping district and at Archeon a ‘living museum’ that features daily gladiator battles and other attractions that merit a day trip or a longer visit including what could be the country’s most unusual cathedral Go on an adventure through time If you’ve ever wanted to go on a whirlwind journey through 6,000 years of Dutch history, give or take a millennium, Archeon is the place to do it There’s an actual museum on site with artefacts from the Roman era but the real draw for most visitors are the and a Roman settlement complete with a gladiator arena Archeon’s actors bring history to life as they portray everyone from friendly Neolithic villagers to fussy Roman guards Visitors can tour workshops and go on canoe rides but the more dashing and daring might prefer wielding a sword or shooting an arrow during a training session led by a knight The feathered and the furriest Bird is the word at Vogelpark Avifauna which is one of the oldest avian parks in the world but it also has plenty of furrier residents It first opened in 1950 and features numerous exotic and native birds ranging from flamingos to birds of prey You can watch vultures crack open eggs and macaws and owls strut their stuff during daily bird demonstrations between 1 April and 31 October The park gained zoo status in the early ‘00s as it welcomed a wider array of animals It now has 230 species including red pandas That last one is among the world’s smallest monkeys They’re known for white moustaches that make them look like they’re about to audition for the role of a sheriff in a film Check out further flora and fauna The village of Boskoop It’s served as a centre for tree cultivation for nearly five centuries The nurseries in and around Boskoop contain hundreds of different species of both trees and shrubs Together they create what’s been described as a fairy tale atmosphere especially if you’re viewing them from the water Nearby is the Bentwoud recreation and nature centre Its forest was expanded with an additional 2.5 million trees and other plants prior to its completion in 2016 Here you’ll find many species of birds and butterflies along with 80 kilometres of walking and cycling paths Linger along the Oude Rijn The centre of Alphen aan den Rijn runs along the banks of the river Rhine where many people gather to watch passing yachts and other boats from cafe terraces and lawn chairs on sunny summer afternoons and evenings There are plenty of shops and cafes nearby along with a market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You can also attend a performance or watch a film at Castellum an entertainment complex with both a theatre and a cinema Cycle to a unique cathedral Europe has thousands of churches, chapels, and cathedrals, but there are few, if any, quite like this one. The somewhat mysterious Groene Kathedraal is located in the village of Hazerswoude-Dorp and looks like something straight out of a Legend of Zelda game Getting there by bike from Alphen aan den Rijn’s train station takes about 25 minutes Those willing to make the trek will find a small, ivy-covered cathedral with stained glass windows The Groene Kathedraal can serve as an oasis during a longer bike ride and The cathedral is the work of Tom and Conny van Dijk who originally bought the property in the late ‘90s with plans to use it as a nursery This eventually evolved into the cathedral after Tom decided to install a lookout tower Where to eat It’s hard to miss Maggie Blue It’s a large cafe that took over the Nutsgebouw If you’re looking for a more low-key place for dinner, try the aptly named Koeien en Kaas across the street. If you guessed they serve beef and cheese dishes, feel free to reward yourself with a succulent rib-eye steak. Proto is an upscale eatery with lunch and dinner menus. Ristorante Pizzeria Is Morus has over 40 varieties of pizzas and a delicatessen full of Italian products Where to stay Pickings are rather slim in Alphen aan den Rijn, unfortunately. Try Stadsherberg Alphen. It’s a boutique hotel in the city centre with a cute cafe. Van der Valk Hotel Avifauna is another option with traditional rooms and more luxurious suites especially if you can’t get enough of the avian park next door The Ali-B2 becomes a bed and breakfast ‘botel’ during the off season between October and March along with select periods during other parts of the year. There are also several nearby campsites including Camping de Oude Rijn How to get there Getting to Alphen aan den Rijn from Amsterdam usually takes around 45 minutes by car The trip from Amsterdam Centraal via train is about five minutes longer Anything else? Look up after dark and you may notice some unusual lighting on the Alphense, a transmission tower for TV and radio that serves as a beacon of sorts. The lights on top are used to observe significant holidays and other events. You can decipher what each colour scheme represents by visiting the tower’s page on Hier is Alphen the region’s website for tourists and other visitors We could not provide the Dutch News service without the generous support of our readers Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days We could not provide this service without you Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey Construction machinary topples on to houses and shops during bridge renovation in western town of Alphen aan den Rijn About 20 people have been injured in the west Netherlands town of Alphen aan den Rijn after two cranes working on a bridge restoration project toppled on to houses and shops nearby “Two cranes and the stretch of roadway they were carrying fell on five houses in all,” said a spokesman for the fire service Heavy machinery was moved to the scene in case people were trapped under rubble and needed to be rescued when the first machine went down on Monday NOS said the cranes fell on a secondhand clothing store and another shop selling art and drawing supplies, but it was unclear how many people were inside at the time. “You see the cloud of dust rise – that is a terrible image and you think: ‘Who is under there?’ You can’t believe what you see,” said witness, Dick van Smirren, who filmed the incident. The local municipality urged people to stay away from the scene to allow rescuers to carry out their work. Rescuers with sniffer dogs were on their way to the scene to check for survivors. The Dutch Safety Board, which investigates serious accidents, said it was sending a team to the scene. 2024 Two men have been arrested in connection with two shootings in Alpen aan den Rijn in which private homes close to the town centre were shot at leaving bullet holes in windows and a front door The shootings took place on the Prins Hendrikstraat on Thursday afternoon and the arrests were made later in the evening The two men were in a car and were  carrying a semi-automatic weapon Dozens of passersby witnessed the shooting, said to have been carried out by a man dressed in black. “It was broad daylight,” one eyewitness told the AD “The shooter looked me straight in the eye,” said Joy I ran back towards my work as quickly as I could.” The AD said police had searched a private home in the same street earlier this week in connection with an investigation into drugs smuggling and money laundering They could not say if there was a link between that search and Thursday’s shooting The Dutch Safety Board has published the findings of its investigation into last year’s dramatic collapse of two mobile cranes that were attempting to install a bridge in the Netherlands The report highlights severe shortcomings in the preparations for the lift which resulted in an unstable set-up of the cranes and meant that the accident could not have been avoided The collapse happened in Alphen aan den Rijn in August 2015 when two mobile construction cranes standing on barges were carrying out a tandem lift of a bridge section from a third barge Homes and shops were destroyed when they toppled over As well as making recommendations for the companies involved the report also discusses ways to improve risk management on construction projects through actions targeted at government and municipalities Read the full article here. Sign up to get our twice-monthly email update A large fire broke out in a house in an apartment complex on the Hoflaan in Alphen aan den Rijn on Friday night. The fire department reported that 30 apartments had to be evacuated because smoke was spreading in the apartment complex. One person was treated in an ambulance. However, the resident did not need to be taken to hospital. According to the fire brigade, the other residents were safe and were temporarily accommodated in a central room in the building. The fire was discovered around ten to half past four in the morning and has since been extinguished. In addition, the flat was ventilated to get rid of the smoke, AD reported. Around 4.30 a.m., the fire department reported that the residents of 20 apartments were allowed to return to their homes. About half an hour later, most of the other residents were also allowed to return to their apartments. The apartment in which the fire broke out is no longer habitable, the fire department reported. However, the cause of the fire is unknown. © 2012-2025, NL Times, All rights reserved. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. The machinery was being used to restore a bridge I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Two cranes have fallen onto a row of buildings in the western Dutch city of Alphen aan den Rijn, where rescue workers are attempting to determine the number of casualties. The machines were being used to restore a bridge on the river Rijn when they tipped over, crushing apartments and small shops beneath them. Some three hours after the incident on Monday afternoon, the number of people injured remained unclear, and local officials urged the public to stay away from the scene to enable rescuer teams to carry out their work into nightfall. Local fire brigade spokesman Ton Koot told The Associated Press that one person had been taken to hospital. He added that initial reports suggesting that between seven at 20 people were injured had been based on estimates on the number of people who may have been in the buildings. "We are stabilisng the situation so rescue workers can go in," Koot said, adding that two teams armed with heavy machinery usually used overseas for earthquakes were at the scene with five specially trained dogs tasked with trying to sniff out those trapped in the rubble. Images from the scene show an enormous metal pillar after it smashed into a building, and people standing behind tape cordoning off the area. A video shows the cranes moving a piece of decking on the river Rijn, before they crash onto nearby buildings. Dick van Smirren, who filmed the incident, told NOS: "You see the cloud of dust rise — that is a terrible image and you think, 'Who is under there?' You can't believe what you see." Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Text description provided by the architects. Alphen aan den Rijn is turning into a real city. The to be developed Bonifacius location will also become an area with urban construction. The new Bonifacius school is the first step in the new urban plan that FARO is making for this part of Alphen. © Hans Peter FöllmiFARO has an integral approach towards sustainability and has booked increasing results on many fronts The Bonifacius school also meets the needs of any contemporary building The building is very compact and uses minimal energy The spaces are flexible and can be used by many different user groups One request was to design a school that will function at least 75 years The materials we used are all solid and durable and can easily stand the test of time the children and also the neighbors - all have been included in the realization of the design You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email reportedly causing a number of injuries but no fatalities The cranes were hoisting a large steel ramp onto a bridge over the Rhine river in the town of Alphen aan den Rijn when they tilted over and crushed the nearby buildings Early reports had indicated that 20 people were injured but that number actually reflected the total number of people who may have been inside the buildings at the time a spokesperson for the fire brigade now says An emergency response team is on the scene attempting to rescue anyone who may be in the rubble and at least one person has been taken to a hospital people can be heard screaming as the cranes lean into the building [BBC] Contact us at letters@time.com The most densely populated province in the Netherlands Zuid (South) Holland features intense rail activity 118,000 (250,000+ with adjoining communities) Requires construction of new light rail routes Referendum rejection of initial urban routing High level of interchange with bus and heavy rail Main line services are managed by national operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) there are sizable tram networks in the provincial capital Den Haag and the biggest city Rotterdam also has a metro Based on Den Haag and Rotterdam is the RandstadRail operation which is becoming established in service and in identity To counteract the congestion encountered in this small but highly developed area the province of Zuid Holland is sponsoring a project for a new rail operation The Rijn Gouwelijn (RGL) project is for the creation of a tram-train operation from Gouda through Alphen aan den Rijn (both with populations of over 70,000) to Leiden whose population with adjoining communities exceeds a quarter of a million Already with the high population density characteristic of the Randstad region the RGL will pass through an area scheduled for more housing developments a western section will run north-west towards the coast branching to the North Sea resort and commuter towns of Noordwijk (12km from Leiden) and Katwijk aan Zee (8km) the latter is currently the Netherlands’ biggest community without any rail service Early indications were of a total project cost of €470m Since 2003 a trial service (which continues) with tram vehicles has run half-hourly over the heavy rail section from Gouda an interchange with the Utrecht-Den Haag main line also an NS interchange for Leiden and Utrecht Destined to become a composite part of the RGL operation this partly single-track secondary route has been made compatible with the low-floor trams New low platforms 40cm above the railhead opposite the standard NS high platforms or single platforms with ends of different height the publicly funded national heavy rail infrastructure body Remodelling of the Alphen aan den Rijn station area in connection with the RGL proper began in May 2008 The heavy rail section will gain extra stops as the project proceeds The RGL plans promoted by Zuid Holland in respect of the street-running sections through Leiden’s historic centre were rejected with a 69% vote by the city’s residents in a referendum held in 2007 Particular objections centred on the use of the picturesque Breestraat for rail use Although the vote carried no legal weight and opposition continues the intended alignment has been changed and will require substitute roads to be added The system’s busiest point is likely to be at Leiden Centraal on NS’s Amsterdam-Den Haag-Rotterdam main line prosperous Leiden has a large student population Deliveries of the light rail stock were from October 2002 to the NS Leidschendam depot in Den Haag operator of that city’s tram network and RandstadRail partner Gouda to Alphen aan den Rijn services are worked by a fleet of six two-car Bombardier type A32 originally specified for Stockholms Lokaltrafik AG in Sweden Based on a design used around Cologne and classified by the manufacturers as a Flexity Swift the 72% low-floor units operate singly or in pairs With an anticipated frequency of 7.5 minutes each way a new fleet is likely to be procured for tram-train operations the promoters make reference to the RandstadRail low-floor vehicles in Den Haag (Alstom Regio Citadis) as an indicator of the standards that may apply up to 35km/h on reserved track with the potential for 100km/h (62mph) running over the railway section At present the trams need only operate under the signalling system of the NS route over which they operate although dual systems are likely to apply on the completed scheme it is probable that real-time indicators will be fitted throughout Initial construction works began in mid-2008 Previous delays suggest that schedules may slip again although the plan is for the RGL to be delivered in three phases the first being the reworked Gouda-Alphen den Rijn line by the end of 2010 This would be followed by the arms east and west of Leiden by 2015 Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network. Rescue teams continue to comb wreckage for survivors Two cranes working to restore the Queen Juliana bridge in the Dutch city of Alphen aan den Rijn, and the bridge section they were lifting, collapsed and damaged at least five buildings, according to a Mashable report Initial reports from The Guardian said at least 20 people were injured but later reports indicated that the number of injured may be much lower One man has been pulled alive from the rubble Rescuers with sniffer dogs worked into the night combing the scene for other trapped victims Mashable's report on the Alphen aan den Rijn crane collapse More coverage of the Dutch crane collapse with good aerial view of the recovery scene  Some are necessary and we can’t switch them off Others help us to provide you with the best possible service We use cookies to personalise content and ads to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic We also share anonymous information about your use of our site with our social media By accepting cookies you will be helping us to continue to provide you with the best possible service Failures in planning led to Alphen aan den Rijn crane incident Photo: Dutch Safety Board / Photographer Crane Company Failings in the preparations and in the lifting plan led to the August 2015 crane collapses in Alphen aan den Rijn according to a report from the Dutch Safety Board On 3 August 2015 a pair of wheeled mobile cranes went over during an operation to lift a bridge deck section A 400 tonne capacity and a 700 tonne capacity wheeled mobile telescopic crane were tandem lifting the deck as part of a project to restore the town’s Queen Juliana Bridge The cranes were each mounted on separate barges As the weight was transferred across the barges they listed and both cranes slid and went down one after the other dropping the bridge deck and crushing buildings The barge carrying the smaller of the two cranes “was already insufficiently stable before the work was even started,” the 29 June report stated the barge carried objects other than the crane which affected stability and there was “imperfect distribution of ballast water between the compartments in the barge.” An insufficient margin to compensate for the effect of an initial movement by the bridge section during the lifting work caused the barge supporting the smaller construction crane to slope [out of level] to such an extent that the mast of the crane failed thereby pulling the bridge section with it which in turn also pulled over the large construction crane.” The above problems stemmed from “shortcomings in the preparation for the lifting operation by both the crane operator and the barge operator.” It was a complicated lifting operation and “the complexity of the tandem lifting operation using mobile cranes operating from barges was not reflected in this lifting plan.” Standard factors of wind and movement of the cranes were not taken into account as a result of which the lifting rig lacked the capacity to compensate for any uncertainties or irregularities in execution.” The cranes were loaded to capacity “The lifting work commenced using a lifting plan that offered insufficient stability for the safe execution of the work … There was no systematic or integrated process of risk management.” There were also at least 16 people wounded during the attack at the Ridderhof mall in the suburb of Alphen aan den Rijn but he could not confirm whether they were among the wounded or dead A witness identified as Maart Verbeek told the Dutch state broadcaster that he had seen five people he believed were dead a lot of people running," said Verbeek and I see him going by with a big machine gun." NOS cited witnesses as saying the man later shot himself in the head with a second weapon The gunman was described as a 25-year-old white male with blond hair who was wearing a leather jacket and camouflage pants His identity was known and it was "all but certain" he acted alone but investigators were not yet ready to release his name or age She said he was a native Dutchman from Alphen who has a criminal record said she was shopping at a drug store when she heard bangs and people in the store hid behind shelves When they realized a shooting was taking place customers shouted for employees to lock the doors "Then we heard the shots getting further away so he was walking back and forth," she said "Then we thought we'd have a look and there were two people lying dead near the entrance .. then he came back shooting so we locked the door again." "You hear about this sort of thing happening at American schools and you think that's a long way away," said Rob Kuipers, 50, a project manager. "Now it's happened here in the Netherlands." A resident who lives near the mall who gave his name as Marijn said the shooting went on for several minutes. When he went to see whether friends working at the mall were OK, he saw the shooter lying dead in front of a grocery store. "There was glass everywhere," the resident said. "He was just shooting everywhere as if it were the Wild West." Four of the wounded are in critical condition, five were in serious condition and at least two others were slightly wounded, Eenhoorn said. He described the incident as a "disaster of unparalleled proportions" for Alphen, known as a quiet suburb. "Under these circumstances, with many people shopping at the Ridderhof today, including parents with children, it's an incomprehensible situation," he said. Three people involved voluntarily went to police and are being treated as possible suspects A criminal investigation has been launched into the dramatic collapse of two cranes in the Netherlands that left a row of houses crushed and saw one man rushed to hospital. The crash on Monday saw two towering cranes stood on a floating pontoon in the city of Alphen aan den Rijn slowly topple over while transferring a new section of a bridge across a river as part of restoration work. The cranes fell into a row of houses and local shops, crushing the buildings beneath them, while one man was taken to hospital with a hip injury. Prosecutors said in a statement that three people involved in the bridge restoration had voluntarily visited police and were now being treated as possible suspects. One man was pulled from the rubble on Monday night as rescue teams with sniffer dogs prepared to work late into the night. Ton Koot, a spokesman for the fire department, said on Monday night: “We hope that the number of victims stays at this one man who was taken to hospital with hip problems.” Rescuers have since said they are confident that no one else is trapped underneath the collapsed buildings. At least 20 people are believed to be injured after two cranes collapsed into a row of buildings in a town in the Netherlands The accident took place at the Juliana Bridge in Alphen aan den Rijn – a town in the west of the Netherlands where about 100,000 people live The cranes were reportedly renovating the bridge when they collapsed into the buildings Local emergency services wrote on Twitter how there were "reports of several wounded" but no number has been confirmed yet a spokesman for the local fire brigade in Alphen aan den Rijn told Dutch broadcaster NOS a special search and rescue team is on the scene in order to find anyone trapped in the wreckage Live beelden van de rampplek #Julianabrug #AlpenaandenRijn http://t.co/75xJXU6nDW pic.twitter.com/TCAlbXGI8Z Filmpje van omvallen brugdek #julianabrug en kranen op huizen. #Alphen pic.twitter.com/E3p2Zz9Yb0 The cranes carrying a piece of the bridge crashed into a shop selling second-hand goods and a shop selling artists supplies as well as other properties, according to Dutch News. Footage of the incident was uploaded on to Twitter by eyewitnesses The reason for the collapse is not known at this stage Thanks to conversions with battery containers from Zero Emission Services (ZES) a completely emission-free inland waterway vessel in the Netherlands will go into operation from April 2024 onwards The first electrically powered ship on this route will be followed by four that will traverse Dutch inland waterways between Den Bosch The first zero-emission ship on the route between Den Bosch, Maasvlakte and Moerdijk in the Netherlands is the 90-metre-long Den Bosch Max Groen. The electrically powered container ship transports containers for Heineken and other customers. It is not the first inland vessel to be electrified ZES battery packs – the first vessel called the Alphenaar was initiated in 2021 and now operates between Alphen aan den Rijn and Moerdijk Transforming the Dutch inland shipping route between Den Bosch Maasvlakte and Moerdijk is being made possible through collaboration from Inland terminal operator BCTN – a part of the Inland Terminals Group (ITG) The three partners say they are committed to achieving emission-free operations along crucial corridors and accelerating the sustainability of inland shipping The initiative focuses on collaboration across the entire logistics value chain The ZES battery packs that are decarbonising the ships can be charged in three hours with a 1 MW charging system that is to be installed at the BCTN terminal in Alblasserdam in the first quarter of 2024 The partners will see to the installation of Charging stations in Den Bosch (BCTN terminal) and at the Prins Johan Frisohaven in Rotterdam shortly after “As the largest inland terminal operator in the Benelux we aim to take the lead in further greening inland shipping The innovation project involving the electrification of the Den Bosch Max Groen is an excellent initial step toward achieving this goal Upon a successful evaluation of the project You cannot convert six thousand ships in such a short period we will establish a sustainable business case ZES is a joint venture set up by a Dutch consortium committed to zero-emission inland shipping founded in 2020 The ZES business model involves renting out exchangeable battery containers – the ZES packs – to shipping companies The company offers a service package with charging stations technical support and a pay-per-use payment concept for ship owners ZES aims to instigate 30 emission-free shipping routes by 2030 zeroemissionservices.nl I agree with the Privacy policy electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013. As the industry's leading trade media, we offer comprehensive coverage of the highest quality — as a central platform for the rapid development of this technology. With news, background information, driving reports, interviews, videos and advertising messages. Two salvage companies are moving equipment into the damaged area of the town ahead of the lifting of the fallen cranes and bridge section, which is expected to begin next week. The accident happened on August 3 during extensive renovation of the Juliana bridge in the town. Two cranes which were lifting part of the new bridge into position toppled over, destroying or damaging around 50 properties. No one was hurt. Mayor Liesbeth Spies said she holds the contractors Mourik and BSB Staalbouw responsible for the accident. We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day. Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days! We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here. Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey. ALPHEN AAN DEN RIJN, The Netherlands — A man armed with a machine gun went on the rampage in a shopping mall in the west of The Netherlands on Saturday, killing at least four people including himself. Residents in the town of Alphen aan den Rijn heard machine gun fire in the shopping mall just after midday. The municipality confirmed the deaths of four people, including the gunman, with 16 wounded. It said the shooting took place near the entrance to the Ridderhof shopping center. The state broadcaster NOS, citing a shopkeeper at the mall, said the suspected gunman shot himself in the head. "There was panic in the mall, many people were running," the broadcaster quoted the shopkeeper as saying. "I saw people lying on the floor. When I saw the offender, I went inside and I closed the blinds." Emergency teams were called to the mall, and photos on social networking sites showed the area cordoned off by police tape with victims being carried to waiting ambulances. The shooter was described by NOS as a man in his mid-twenties dressed in a bomber jacket and army pants. Two people were killed and another two injured in a drugs-related shooting in the same town last Friday. Alphen aan den Rijn is located about 15 miles southwest of Amsterdam. Two cranes fall onto houses in the western Dutch town of Alphen aan den Rijn. (AFP: Lex van Lieshout) Link copiedShareShare articleAbout 20 people have been injured in the western Dutch town of Alphen aan den Rijn after two cranes working on a bridge upgrade toppled onto houses, the fire brigade says. "Two cranes and the stretch of roadway they were carrying fell on five houses in all," Ton Koot, brigade spokesman for firefighters of the central Netherlands region, said. "There are about 20 injured," he said, giving preliminary figures from first responders, who were being aided by air-ambulance helicopters. The cranes, working from barges, were renovating the Queen Juliana Bridge, a canal bridge dating from the 1950s, when the first machine went down. Unbalanced by the extra load, the second crane also fell. Dutch TV channel NOS said the cranes fell on a second-hand clothing store and another shop selling art and drawing supplies, but it was unclear how many people were inside at the time. Disasters, Accidents and Emergency Incidents AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Zero Emission Services (ZES) commences today with the Alphenaar, the first Dutch inland vessel to use interchangeable energy containers for propulsion. The Alphenaar sails between Alphen aan den Rijn and Moerdijk transporting beer for HEINEKEN, ZES’s first end customer. A truly green solution for authorities and businesses 2017 The Ridderhof shopping centre in Alphen aan den Rijn.Victims of a shopping centre shooting that left six people dead are suing the gunman’s parents claiming they failed to act on signs that his mental health was failing Six people died and 17 others were injured when Tristan van der Vlis opened fire in the Ridderhof mall in Alphen aan den Rijn in April 2011 Lawyers said 13 victims and their families were involved in the compensation claim AD reported that Van der Vlis’s mother had admitted in an earlier hearing that her son was depressed and had talked to spirits of dead people She added she was surprised that Tristan had been granted a gun owner’s licence The 24-year-old had also shown signs of unusual behaviour at the warehouse where he worked said he wanted to establish responsibility so his clients could receive compensation from the relevant insurers told AD: ‘Everyone has passed the question of responsibility onto someone else because they’re worried about compensation claims That’s what I want so I can close the issue.’ A hearing in the compensation case is scheduled for March 6 Entrepreneurs who were affected when two cranes collapsed while trying to place a new deck on the Juliana Bridge in Alphen aan den Rijn in August 2015 are demanding compensation from the municipality and contractors involved a spokesperson for the Alphen municipality confirmed to NU.nl on Thursday The group of business owners on Hoofstraat hired damages attorney Orlando Kadir who summoned the municipality and four involved contractors to acknowledge liability he said in a letter sent to the involved parties this week The cleanup took three months, during which the shops on Hoofstraat had to remain closed. According to the shop owners involved, this led to "dramatic" loss of income. Several of the business owners now face major financial problems. Four companies already went bankrupt, Kadir said. The letter sent to the municipality this week was written on behalf of three entrepreneurs. According to them, they suffered the most problems from the incident. The three want between two and three million euros in compensation. Should a court rule in their favor, Kadir will file a similar case on behalf of the 30 other entrepreneurs affected. Their damage claims will amount to tens of thousands of euros apiece. According to the lawyer, the entrepreneurs are only now demanding damages because they hoped that long ongoing settlement negotiations will prove to cover their damages. "We had long hoped that the emergency fund would offer release. But the municipality and insurers put in every effort to pay no money", he said to NU.nl. "We have absolutely no interest in a lawsuit; that would likely take months, and most of the victims don't have that time. But the municipality left us no choice." Kadir said. Photo: Raymond van Flymen ANPDutch police arrested at least 200 people during the New Year celebrations and several officers were injured The police were also called out to deal with incidents nationwide vandalism and attacks on emergency service workers “It is completely unacceptable,” said Peije de Meij in charge of coordinating the police response at New Year “This is the reality we operate in during New Year’s Eve The entire evening was busy with a number of serious incidents Riot police were called out to support the fire brigade deal with problems in Alphen aan den Rijn Poortugaal and Amsterdam West they were brought in to break up groups “wearing balaclavas,” the statement said “Balaclavas have nothing to do with a party,” De Meij said “It is totally out of order to go out looking for confrontation with the police.” Fireworks were banned in 16 towns and cities but the bans were widely ignored everywhere A 19-year-old youth was killed in Haarlem in an accident involving fireworks but police are still looking into what happened several cars were damaged and windows broken after an explosion thought to be caused by highly dangerous fireworks which are banned in the Netherlands The explosion was caught on a video doorbell There were similar problems in the Frisian villages of Kollumerzwaag, Tzummarum and Marrum, local media reported In Den Bosch a young child was seriously injured in a fire on a balcony also thought to have been caused by fireworks In The Hague a police car was destroyed by fire when it was left unattended by police officers 110 cars and mopeds were set on fire in the Rotterdam region “They are easy to throw on a pile,” a spokesman for the emergency services said In Capelle aan den IJssel one person was shot dead at around 6.20 am after a fight broke out at a party. The victim was reportedly shot while in his car, local broadcaster Rijnmond said In Delft a shop on the Griegstraat was destroyed in a fire caused by heavy fireworks and police officers were pelted with fireworks. Riot police were brought in for a time to restore order, Nu.nl reported. Riot police were also drafted in to Alphen aan den Rijn to protect firemen who were trying to put out a bonfire In Rotterdam several people were stabbed in different incidents Of the 18 people to go to the specialist eye hospital in Rotterdam so far two are children and most were bystanders watching fireworks “It is the same song as every year,” eye surgeon Tjeerd de Faber told Nos radio “We’ve done one operation and we have five to do These are people who will have problems for the rest of their lives.” Watch the NOS compilation of how the Netherlands celebrated The three specialist burns units at Dutch hospitals reported a “quiet night” despite the number of incidents, but hospitals in general said they had to cope with a large number of aggressive patients who had too much to drink and had been fighting. which were standing on a pontoon on the river began to sway and toppled onto nearby buildings Three people are being treated as ‘suspects’ in the investigation ‘It is much too soon to say if any criminal acts have taken place,’ public prosecutor Kitty Nooy told reporters Treating the three as suspects entitles them to remain silent and to have a lawyer which is in charge of the bridge building process has begun assessing how the cranes and the bridge section can be removed from the crash site shipping is being rerouted to avoid this stretch of the Old Rhine who applied for the Alphen project contract but did not win The cranes were not suitable to be used on pontoons because of the lack of stability, he told broadcaster Nos. ‘Once the surface is no longer level, they cannot be steered,’ he said. ‘The driver can do nothing to correct their positioning.’ Delft university professor Frans Bijlaard told Nos that no one had taken into account possible problems. ‘Otherwise the properties would have been evacuated before the work began,’ he said. ‘That did not happen and people were lucky to escape with their lives.’ Officials said at first 20 people had been injured but reduced this later to one man. He had hip and leg injuries but had sustained these before the accident, mayor Liesbeth Spies told local broadcaster Studio Alphen. One dog was killed. The council is now working to ensure the worse of the rubble is cleared up and that people who were evacuated from their homes can return. This, Spies said, is the council’s first priority. Photo: Sem van de Waal ANPThe Netherlands saw in the New Year with champagne and fireworks but at least two people have died and the police were pelted with fireworks in several places At least 18 people have already reported to the specialist eye hospital in Rotterdam with firework-related injuries One man was killed in Haarlem in an accident involving fireworks but police are still looking into what happened the fire brigade had fireworks thrown at them and in the Vlijt riot police were drafted in to “create a safe situation” after a large building scheduled for demolition was set on fire cars were damaged and windows broken after an explosion thought to be caused by highly dangerous fireworks which are banned in the Netherlands Mooi dat vuurwerk verbod Amersfoort #Amersfoort pic.twitter.com/qLAjKm2So1 — Mark (@PapavanFien) December 31, 2023 In Amsterdam police also had to deal with several incidents in the west and east of the city and made several arrests Al het goede voor iedereen in 2024! Hier in Amersfoort is het in meerderheid door de gemeenteraad afgekondigde afsteekverbod een groot succes 😇 #vuurwerk #symboolpolitiek pic.twitter.com/lvRMxXqiD1 — Kees (C.W.) Kraanen (@KeesKraanen) December 31, 2023 Village youngsters set cars destined to be scrapped on fire every year Some 500 people turned out to view the spectacle This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page A prisoner tried to escape from the Alphen aan den Rijn penitentiary institution on December 24 by hiding in a wheelie bin. He didn’t actually get out of the prison, but employees failed to notice his absence during multiple roll calls, only noticing he was missing the following day, the penitentiary institution service DJI said in a report on Monday The prisoner apparently had the help of another inmate in hiding himself in the wheelie bin The penitentiary is investigating how his absence went unnoticed during multiple cell rounds The DJI also reported two escapes by psychiatric prisoners while on unsupervised leave from the Dr van Mesdag forensic psychiatric clinic in Groningen a psychiatric prisoner failed to return from unsupervised leave The police arrested him again on December 4 The police returned that prisoner to the clinic later that evening Someone also managed to smuggle a pen gun into the penitentiary institute in Leeuwarden Prison workers found the pen gun in a garbage container on December 6 and the police and prison staff searched the institution They found “no objects that could be associated with the pen gun,” the DJI said You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience Fokke Gnodde spent two decades as director of Covatuin - the birth place of Intratuin Gnodde was one of the most important engineers of an industry that developed during the early years of garden centres into a recognizable and powerful retail sector remained cheerfully and bright until the end He was happy with the pleasures and all the beautiful things that life had given him Until the end he bore his illness with optimism and Els Gnodde were married for 51 years and had one daughter and two sons The value that Fokke Gnodde brought to the industry may be easily underestimated In a farewell interview in 1999 he looked back on his twenty years in the garden industry Then said: "I accompanied the cubs in their first years But now we are a mature club with retail sales of 1.2 billion guilders." Gnodde joined in 1980 as the frontman of a small group of about ten garden centres who wanted to work together to create a commercial benefit On his retirement twenty years later that first club created three powerful and self-conscious retail organisations at 63 he left the industry foreseeing that there were big changes ahead He predicted: "The future will be more colourful and diverse then we have seen so far." - He was right Fokke Gnodde was furthermore instrumental in the set-up and development of the UK HART buying and marketing group and was Chairman for many years as well as the European umbrella organisation SESACO.* With the demise of Fokke Gnodde the industry not only loses a man of great distinction his eloquence and his talent for enjoying life Fokke Gnodde was 76 years old and was buried on Monday Translated by Eimert de Graaff from an article in the Dutch trade magazine ‘Tuinzaken’ Join nowor trial us Free Gardenforum is a trade website for the UK garden industry Sign up to our popular News and Product emails Terms and Conditions Acceptable Use Policy Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Download the Gardenforum Media Pack Gardenforum enjoys around 50,000 page views a month Repeated views of your banner will build recognition and confidence in your company Email: info@gardenforum.co.uk Look forward to hearing from you © Gardenforum 2025 | This site is intended for use by UK businesses only Gardenforum will not be responsible for any loss or liability arising from use by any other party A man tried to escape from the prison in Alphen aan den Rijn early Wednesday morning using sheets he had tied together like in the movies. Prison guards detained him within the penitentiary's walls on Maatschapslaan, Omroep West reports. The man got out of his cell by removing a window and bars. He then made his way to the roof and threw his rope of knotted sheets over the wall on the side of the Koningin Maxima bridge. Prison employees caught the man in the act. They put him in isolation and called the police. How he got hold of so many sheets is under investigation, a spokesperson for the custodial institutions' department DJI said to ANP. The police arrested another man outside the prison at around 3:15 a.m. They also seized a car. The police did not say whether the man is suspected of involvement in the attempted prison break. 11:23Treinverkeer hervat nadat schip tegen spoorbrug voer bij Alphen aan den RijnDeel dit artikelHet treinverkeer tussen Alphen aan den Rijn en Bodegraven kan weer opgestart worden Het schip dat vanochtend een spoorbrug aanvoer is losgemaakt Het treinverkeer tussen Utrecht en Leiden rijdt ook weer volgens de dienstregeling Er reden zeker zeven uur lang geen treinen vandaag Dat kwam omdat er een schip geladen met grind op de rivier de Gouwe tegen een spoorbrug aan was gevaren Het is niet duidelijk hoe lang die stremming gaat duren Ook is nog niet bekend hoe het ongeluk kon gebeuren Media tvBinnenland 22:38Kraanongeluk Alphen: een reconstructie in beeldDeel dit artikelEen mooie zomerdag Alphen aan den Rijn maakt zich op voor het plaatsen van een nieuwe brug over de Rijn De Koningin Julianabrug was sinds eind april gesloten wegens herstelwerkzaamheden 1:20Nieuw brugdeel in Alphen aan den Rijn Maar rond 16.00 uur gaat het mis. Twee kranen en een brugdeel vallen om en komen terecht op enkele panden die aan de oever van de Rijn staan 1:31Kraan valt op huizenHet terugplaatsen van de brug trekt veel publiek Veel mensen filmen met hun mobieltje de spectaculaire klus En dus is het ongeluk op veel manieren vastgelegd 0:57Ooggetuige loopt door het puinEen bewakingscamera in een bar in Alphen aan den Rijn legt vast hoe een medewerker nog net op tijd kan wegrennen 0:48Een van de kranen belandt in een café De ravage is groot. Volgens de eerste berichten zijn er zeker twintig gewonden. De omstanders zijn flink geschrokken 0:19'Het klonk als onweer'Enige tijd later wordt duidelijk dat er vier panden zijn getroffen door de kranen waaronder een tweedehandswinkel en een winkel met verf- en tekenspullen 1:12'Hij was al bang de hele dag'De loco-burgemeester van Alphen aan den Rijn geeft rond 19.15 uur een korte persconferentie Hij zegt dat het onduidelijk is of er slachtoffers zijn 1:58Persconferentie loco-burgemeester Alphen aan den RijnEen Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR) doorzoekt twee panden omdat één van de kranen nog op het gebouw ligt en er instortingsgevaar is In het pand ernaast zou niemand aanwezig zijn geweest tijdens het ongeluk 0:29Drie mensen zijn aangemerkt als verdachteHet zag er zo mooi uit aan het begin van de dag Aan het einde van de middag laten luchtbeelden vanuit een helikopter iets heel anders zien in Alphen aan den Rijn Ten years after a mass shooting in the Ridderhof shopping center in Alphen aan den Rijn Tristan van der Vlis shot and killed five people at the shopping center before taking his own life A man also died of a heart attack during the mass shooting and 66 others can expect a settlement this year He did not give exact amounts but said some were up to ten times the amount requested payments are made with sympathy and the human dimension," Kadir said Many of his clients are still suffering from the consequences of the mass shooting In 2018, the court in The Hague ruled that the police were partially responsible for the mass shooting. The police approved the perpetrator's weapons permit, despite his known mental health problems. The Supreme Court confirmed this ruling a year later. One person got hurt during a fire in an apartment complex on Vreeland in Amersfoort during the early hours of Monday morning Fires also raged at a car company in Alphen aan den Rijn and at commercial property in Dongen Veligheidsregio Utrecht the regional security office that manages the emergency services first reported the fire in Amersfoort at 3:37 a.m The fire brigade responded in large numbers and twice scaled up their deployment Firefighters rescued four people and multiple cats from the burning apartment One person was transferred to paramedics for treatment Other residents of the building were evacuated the Veligheidsregio reported that the fire had been extinguished Two homes were damaged to the point of being uninhabitable The other apartments were ventilated before residents could return The fire in Alphen aan den Rijn started at a car company on Hoorn during the early hours of Monday and was still burning at around 8:30 a.m. The fire brigade is at the scene with several units, Veiligheidsregio Hollands Midden reported and the Veligheidsregio urged locals to keep their windows and doors closed and turn off their ventilation Firefighters are taking periodic measurements to check for dangerous substances in the smoke Firefighters managed to keep the blaze from spreading to other buildings but fire debris has ended up in the Rijnhaven-West and Rijnhaven-Oost districts The Veiligheidsregio urged locals to wait for the debris to cool down before trying to clean it up a very large fire broke out at a company that processes leather Part of the solar panel-covered roof was on fire causing foil particles to come loose from the solar panels and land on the ground up to 8 kilometers away The fire brigade allowed the building to burn down in a controlled manner Veiligheidsregio Midden- en West-Brabant warned locals that the foil particles from the solar panels could be sharp It urged farmers in the areas to keep their animals in the barn for the time being and thoroughly inspect the animal feed and drinking troughs for possible glass particles Tristan van der Vlis gaat op zaterdag een winkelcentrum in Alphen binnen Buurtbewoners zien hoe hij rustig langs de winkels loopt Tristan van der Vlis parkeert zaterdagmiddag rond twaalf uur zijn zwarte Mercedes op het Carmenplein bij winkelcentrum de Ridderhof Dan gaat hij een stenen zijtrap op en door een deur het winkelcentrum in die later door de Explosieven Opruimingsdienst wordt onderzocht Daarop staat dat er explosieven liggen in drie andere winkelcentra in Alphen aan den Rijn Het is druk in het overdekte winkelcentrum Rustig loopt Van der Vlis langs het Kruidvat Een oudere man vlucht voor hem uit en duikt de Hubo in Hij ziet een man en een vrouw op de grond liggen „Ik dacht eerst dat er iets op de grond viel.” Hij gaat naar beneden en het dringt tot hem door dat het om schoten gaat Hij loopt naar de kassa’s en ziet gebukte mensen Bij de groenteafdeling ligt een man op de grond Volgens mij was hij niet daar neergeschoten maar is hij bij de in- en uitgang van de winkel geraakt en had hij zich naar binnen gesleept.” Schellinghout gaat naar de kantine en ziet een collega met een schotwond in haar schouder „Collega’s waren bezig het bloeden te stelpen.” Hij pakt wat bedrijfskleding om neer te leggen onder de gewonde bij de groenteafdeling Later komt Schellinghout erachter dat hij de schutter kent van de basisschool Behalve zijn uiterlijk herinner ik me weinig van hem.” Intussen is een buurtbewoonster van 61 de roltrap opgekomen naar de C1000 Glassplinters blijven liggen in de spleten tussen de traptreden en maken een naar Boven wordt ze door een C1000-medewerker de winkel in geleid Ze ziet de gewonde op de groenteafdeling en de vrouw met de schouderwond Er is nog geen politie of ambulancepersoneel Ze liepen wel de winkel rond om mensen gerust te stellen.” De politie krijgt rond twaalf uur de eerste melding „Er is onmiddellijk een team naartoe gegaan” zegt korpschef Jan Stikvoort later op het stadhuis „Zij hebben zich door de mensenmassa heengewrongen met één doel: het uitschakelen van de dader Helaas waren er toen al veel slachtoffers gevallen.” Latifa Charradi en Hajar Lemouesset zijn er bezig met de voorbereidingen voor een modeshow „De meiden stonden klaar om het podium op te gaan” maar blijven aanvankelijk gewoon in de winkel Pas als een gewonde vrouw hun winkel inrent beseffen ze wat er aan de hand is Ze vluchten aan de achterkant hun winkel uit Je hebt het gevoel dat je in een film bent waar je niet wilt zijn.” De schutter is aangekomen bij de Albert Heijn Hij hoort iets wat „lijkt op een klapperpistool” Medewerkers dirigeren de klanten naar achter in de winkel Ongeveer twee minuten hoort Vleerlaag schoten precies het gangpad aan het eind waarvan ik stond zette het wapen tegen de zijkant van zijn hoofd en schoot „Ze wilden kijken of ze hulp konden bieden Hij was zeker dood.” Vleerlaag loopt mee naar de kassa’s Als er misschien nog een tweede schutter was Albert Heijn-manager Luc Vlaardingerbroek is naar de kassa’s gerend Buiten de winkel ziet hij het lichaam liggen van de vrouw van de modewinkel aan de overkant En bij de kassa’s het lichaam van de schutter Hij ziet een jongeman die een kogel door zijn hoofd gekregen heeft „Maar mijn mensen hebben zich goed gehouden Mensen uit de omgeving zijn op de schoten afgekomen Steven Goes komt boven bij de Albert Heijn-ingang „Er stonden mensen te filmen met handycams.” Er is politie maar nog niet veel Ik heb de indruk dat hun niet veel te verwijten valt.” die veel mensen kent die in het winkelcentrum werken ziet bij de AKO-boekhandel een zwaargewonde man op de grond liggen Even verderop ziet ze twee dode mensen liggen Dan komt er een agent op haar af die ze kent omdat hij Zwarte Piet speelt op de school van haar zoontje omdat niet duidelijk was of de schietpartij was afgelopen Ik ben langs de Albert Heijn gelopen en heb daar een vriendin achter de kassa vandaan gehaald Agenten kammen het uit op zoek naar een eventuele tweede dader twee helikopters cirkelen boven het gebied Op straat en in de sociale media gaan wilde geruchten Er zou ook geschoten zijn bij de voetbalclub De identiteit van de dader wordt vastgesteld Een arrestatieteam gaat de flat in waar hij woonde volgens de politie om zeker te stellen dat die veilig kan worden betreden door de recherche horen getuigen in de kerk naast het winkelcentrum Tegen vijf uur besluit het crisisteam van gemeente In de loop van de nacht kan iedereen weer naar huis Winkelcentrum de Ridderhof werd afgelopen nacht schoongemaakt Op zijn vroegst vanochtend zou de politie het weer vrijgeven De zes dodelijke slachtoffers van Tristan van der Vlist in winkelcentrum de Ridderhof in Alphen aan den Rijn zijn vrouwen van 91 Er zijn zeventien gewonden: zes vrouwen twee meisjes van zes en tien jaar en negen mannen Twaalf gewonden liggen nog in het ziekenhuis Zo’n 5.000 inwoners van Alphen aan den Rijn hebben gisteravond bij de Ridderhof de slachtoffers van de schietpartij herdacht Premier Rutte was namens het kabinet aanwezig met minister Opstelten van Veiligheid en Justitie Rutte noemde de schietpartij „een drama dat diepe wonden slaat in de Alphense gemeenschap” Over de dader wordt langzaam meer bekend In 2006 verbleef hij wegens psychische klachten tien dagen in een gesloten inrichting Enkele weken geleden was hij gestopt met een baan via een uitzendbureau De rijksrecherche heeft een onderzoek ingesteld naar de verstrekking van wapenvergunningen aan Van der Vlist U kunt ons met dit formulier daarover informeren Berichten over andere zaken dan taalfouten of feitelijke onjuistheden worden niet gelezen.