Residents of Willemstoren in Rotterdam alarmed by vibrations in the building overnight

Residents of the Willemstoren in the center of Rotterdam were startled last night by vibrations in the building. Part of the building left the building out of fear for safety, but after inspection no risk of collapse was found.

Shortly after 9:30 p.m., the fire service received the first report of severe vibrations. “People on the upper floors in particular have felt vibrations,” says a spokesman for the security region. “About ten people left the building themselves.” It would have felt like an earthquake to them.

The fire service came to the scene with a specialist team to investigate the safety of the residential tower. A drone team was also deployed to inspect the roof and adjacent buildings. After two hours of investigation, it was concluded that there is no risk of collapse. The building was therefore not evacuated. The people who were outside were allowed back in.

It is unclear where the tremors came from. The investigation will continue on Saturday, the owner of the building is also involved. The owner is said to have entered into discussions with residents, some of whom no longer feel safe in the tower. The apartment complex, consisting of twelve floors and about 75 apartments, was built in 2018 and is located near the Erasmus Bridge.