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Sat, Feb 04 2012
Six dead in Dutch Queen's Day drama
Crown-prince Willem-Alexander, right, and princess Maxima watch in horror from an open-top bus after a car ploughed into a parade on the national Queen's Day celebration in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn April 30 2009.
The driver of the car that killed five bystanders in the Dutch town of Apeldoorn when it ploughed its way through a parade attended by the Dutch royal family, died overnight, a little before 3am, Dutch media reported on May 1.
Two more victims are in a critical state, Dutch daily De Volkskrant said.
A total of nine people are still in hospital, according to De Volkskrant.
The driver was a 38-year-old Dutchman whose identity has been released by the police. According to local media reports, he was a former security guard who had lost his job several months ago. His neighbours describe him as quiet and withdrawn. Dutch daily Parool described him as "a friendly einzelgänger" (loner). According to his landlord, he had ended the lease of his apartment because he could no longer afford the rent. The man had been due to vacate the apartment by May 1.
According to police, the attack was deliberate. Allegedly, the man had told rescue workers immediately after the incident that his target was the royal family.
Following the events in Apeldoorn, all festivities surrounding the celebration of what is generally considered as the most important Dutch national holiday were cancelled. The embassy of The Netherlands in Bulgaria cancelled celebrations in Sofia that had been planned for the evening of April 30.
In Dutch media, reviews and discussions question whether Queen's Day will ever be the same again. The familiar image of a royal family, freely moving through crowds, taking part in games and dances and shaking hands, may be a thing of the past, analysts feared.
"In some parts of this world, a royal family in an open bus would be unthinkable," De Volkskrant said in its analysis. "In some countries cars filled with explosives plough into their targets. Here, a car without explosives slammed into its target."
Parool quoted Hans van de Sande, psychologist at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, as saying "Next year we will have forgotten these shocking events and we will celebrate as we do every year."
A commemoration service for the victims was expected to be planned for the end of the week, local media said.
Queen Beatrix, meanwhile, announced she would attend a ceremony on May 4 in Amsterdam commemorating the fallen of World War 2.
Programmes for May 5, The Netherlands' liberation day, would be slightly adjusted but go ahead as planned, local media said.
The Partij van de Arbeid (Labour Party) cancelled May 1 Labour Day celebrations that had been planned in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Roosendaal.
Two more victims are in a critical state, Dutch daily De Volkskrant said.
A total of nine people are still in hospital, according to De Volkskrant.
The driver was a 38-year-old Dutchman whose identity has been released by the police. According to local media reports, he was a former security guard who had lost his job several months ago. His neighbours describe him as quiet and withdrawn. Dutch daily Parool described him as "a friendly einzelgänger" (loner). According to his landlord, he had ended the lease of his apartment because he could no longer afford the rent. The man had been due to vacate the apartment by May 1.
According to police, the attack was deliberate. Allegedly, the man had told rescue workers immediately after the incident that his target was the royal family.
Following the events in Apeldoorn, all festivities surrounding the celebration of what is generally considered as the most important Dutch national holiday were cancelled. The embassy of The Netherlands in Bulgaria cancelled celebrations in Sofia that had been planned for the evening of April 30.
In Dutch media, reviews and discussions question whether Queen's Day will ever be the same again. The familiar image of a royal family, freely moving through crowds, taking part in games and dances and shaking hands, may be a thing of the past, analysts feared.
"In some parts of this world, a royal family in an open bus would be unthinkable," De Volkskrant said in its analysis. "In some countries cars filled with explosives plough into their targets. Here, a car without explosives slammed into its target."
Parool quoted Hans van de Sande, psychologist at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, as saying "Next year we will have forgotten these shocking events and we will celebrate as we do every year."
A commemoration service for the victims was expected to be planned for the end of the week, local media said.
Queen Beatrix, meanwhile, announced she would attend a ceremony on May 4 in Amsterdam commemorating the fallen of World War 2.
Programmes for May 5, The Netherlands' liberation day, would be slightly adjusted but go ahead as planned, local media said.
The Partij van de Arbeid (Labour Party) cancelled May 1 Labour Day celebrations that had been planned in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Roosendaal.
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I'm from salt lake city.My brother,sisters and parents emigrated fromApeldoorn in 1953.My sister and I both still have a lot of contact with cousins in holland and I've been there twice.We saw it on the news and i've followed the tragedy closely.Hou verschrilyk.Its awfull,but the Dutch are strong.I know because my Mother and my sister are the strongest people I know.Sterkte nedeland!!!
got say just home frm dam after 5 days,first time 2 the festival n god dam wot a party, unreal...
anyway i hope a incedent like this(people told us u never get much trouble)defo agree.
has to continue yr after yr,was in the crash area 30-45 min before happend...respect to all the mandem,poilce ravers everyone for just keepin it calm.that bk here would o caused mass madness n trouble,,respect the dutch royals ,not like ars,lol,respect the injured n fatal,that many people it lucky not more hurt..the driver?no excuse.......keep it goin keep it bigger,let me [...]
Read the full comment play my tu nes on a boat nxt yr,lol last word......
random
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained
i dont get it so the role family are kings and queens for wat
Sterkte Nederlands! (Strength Netherlands!)
This moment of madness reinforces my long held view, that about 10% of all people are stake raving mad and the other 90% are living on the lunatic fringe. Shocking and brutal as this event was, it must not diminish or dampen our pride and sense belonging. It must not be allowed to undermine our feeling of safety and freedom, it is what makes The Netherlands what it is.
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained
Your see on CNN not the real! CNN give wrong image to world what happen on Queensday is this, Karst Tates drive with speed of 62 mile in to mass of people stand around road wave to royal family that pass in open air bus. mother , father , childs fly to air, so lie dead on ground everyware see people blooding, tree people have direct get hart cardiac arrest.
...