Groningen casino destroyed by huge fire

A huge fire broke out at the Holland Casino location in Groningen, Netherlands, on Sunday morning, completely destroying the property.

Firefighters struggled to contain the blaze nearly all day. It has been reported that there were no serious injuries but that millions of euros of damage was done.

Residents in surrounding streets and in nearby hotels were evacuated at the height of the fire and most of the old town of Groningen was closed all day.

In a statement on the Holland Casino website, the operator said: “Thanks to the amazing efforts of the police and the fire department the incident did not escalate further and nobody was harmed. Unfortunately, we have lost our building. Our initial concerns are for the well-being and safety of our staff, guests and the local residents.

“Erwin van Lambaart, CEO of Holland Casino, has stated that we will do all we can to return to Groningen. Our short-term plan is to find alternative (temporary) premises in Groningen for our casino, our people and our guests. We will of course keep you informed about the developments.”

Holland Casino employs 200 people in Groningen.