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Explosion destroys houseboat in Amsterdam

DutchAmsterdam.nl — An explosion of a houseboat in the center of Amsterdam on Thursday severely injured a passer-by and caused windows of cars and houses up to 100 meters away to break.

Four people were treated for light injuries.

The identities of the injured have not yet been made public.

Locals says the houseboat was home to a young couple with a small child.

Fire broke out after the explosion, and a short while later the houseboat sank.

The blast uprooted a tree next to the houseboat, which was located across from Oudeschans 40.

A reporter says that houses in a full block closest to the houseboat show visible damage, while the windows of those across the canal are broken.

On Twitter people in the neighborhood said that the blast was heard and felt over a large area.

Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf says neighbors report smelling gas shortly before the blast.

The paper speculates the explosion could have been caused by an ruptured bottle of gas.

Many houseboats use space heaters powered by bottled gas.

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Anton and Janet Hein
Publisher at DutchAmsterdam | Website |  + posts

Anton and Janet Hein live and work in Amsterdam. We are the publishers of DutchAmsterdam.

Anton was born on a houseboat in the center of Amsterdam, right across from the iconic Westertoren and what later became the Anne Frank House museum. Having lived in nearly every district since then, he knows the city like his own back pocket.

Janet was born in England and raised in Ireland before moving to Amsterdam 43 years ago. Even to date she brings an expat’s perspective to the DutchAmsterdam website.

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Last updated Saturday, September 20, 2025 CET (Central European Time)

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