The roof of a building with an area of 30,000 square meters collapsed under the weight of snow in the industrial area of Tilburg.
The roof of a large industrial building in the city of Tilburg collapsed on Thursday evening after days of heavy snowfall, leading to the complete collapse of the roof of the 30,000 square meter building. The building had been evacuated earlier after clear structural damage appeared.
The incident occurred at a facility located on Gesworenhoekseweg street within the Vossenberg bedrijventerrein (Vossenberg industrial area). According to Omroep Brabant (the Brabant broadcasting authority), about 1,000 square meters of the roof had already collapsed on Wednesday, causing a crack in one of the walls and raising serious concerns about the stability of the building.
After consultations with Veiligheidsregio Midden- en West-Brabant (the safety region of Central and West Brabant), the municipality of Tilburg decided not to send emergency teams to the site on Thursday evening. Authorities confirmed that safety measures had been taken in advance, including shutting off gas and electricity and fully evacuating the building.
A spokesperson for the municipality clarified that the building was completely empty when the rest of the roof collapsed. The property owner has been informed and will discuss the next steps in coordination with the insurance company. Authorities confirmed that the early evacuation prevented any injuries.
According to reports, the first signs of danger appeared around 4 PM on Wednesday when employees heard a strong rush of air inside the building and noticed the walls bending. Investigations by the fire teams revealed that an internal crossbeam had broken, likely due to the accumulation of snow on the roof, leading to a partial collapse and then destabilizing the entire building.
This incident comes after similar incidents in other parts of the Netherlands, as the roof of a sports hall in Utrecht collapsed earlier this week due to about 20 centimeters of snow. IKEA also temporarily closed several stores as a precaution due to the accumulation of snow on the flat roofs of its buildings.