Cross-border cooperation after collapse of Wilhelmina Tower
When the Wilhelmina Tower in Valkenburg suddenly collapsed, German emergency services also sprang into action. Thanks to the cross-border cooperation made possible by EMRIC, the rubble could be quickly and safely searched for possible victims. An incident that once again highlights how important assistance from a neighbouring country can be.
In the early morning of Sunday 16 March 2025, the Wilhelmina Tower in Valkenburg literally disappeared from the map. At around 5.30 a.m., the emergency services received the first reports: the tower was no longer visible. ‘You don't often get emergency calls like that,’ says Benoit Smeets of the South Limburg Safety Region and officer on duty (OVD) during the incident. ‘We immediately decided to go and take a look.’ It soon became clear that the famous observation tower, a striking landmark on the Heunsberg, had completely collapsed. Fortunately, due to the time of day, no one was in the tower at the time of the collapse. However, it was important to check whether there were any victims under the rubble.
The first thought was that the cave system under the tower could be the cause. These marl cave structures are fragile and there are other areas of subsidence in the surrounding area. The emergency services requested camera footage in the hope of capturing the exact moment of the collapse. Search and rescue dogs were deployed at the scene. ‘They alerted us,’ said Smeets. ‘This indicated that there might be people under the rubble, but the dogs couldn't get in properly. It was clear that we needed to create more space to continue the search.’ This required specialised rescue services.
The choice was between the Dutch Specialist Technical Services (STH) and the Technisches Hilfswerk (THW) from Germany. It was decided to call on both. ‘The Dutch units are very well equipped, but they are quite far from Valkenburg. Because every second counts during such moments, we decided to call on our German neighbours via EMRIC. That is exactly what this cooperation is for: being able to call for help across the border quickly if that is more efficient.’ An officer from the THW arrived first on the scene to assess the situation. He examined how unstable the rubble was and, based on that, determined which machines to bring in. In the end, these were not needed, as the actual digging was done entirely by hand. The inspection camera that the THW brought along to look into cavities proved to be a useful tool. Fortunately, no victims were found in the end. ‘Of course, we were also lucky with the time of the collapse,’ says Smeets. ‘Imagine if this would have happened on a sunny afternoon, with the terraces next door full of people.’
Mr. Smeets is very pleased with the cooperation with his German colleagues. ‘Everything went very smoothly. We were able to communicate well on both sides. Someone at the THW spoke Dutch quite well, which helped, of course. And for the really technical words, Google Translate was a useful tool.’ For him, this operation was a prime example of how cross-border cooperation should work. ‘Our colleagues from Germany were well prepared, motivated and extremely disciplined. You can tell that they have a lot of specialised equipment at their disposal and can switch gears quickly.’
As far as he is concerned, this incident is also a good reason to continue working on the overview of each other's capacities. ‘It would be good if we knew even better who has what. Not only in terms of equipment, but also in terms of expertise. If you know each other, you are also more inclined to ask for help. That strengthens the entire region.’ Because, he concludes: ‘When the need is great, we are there for each other. And for the safety of the citizens. We have proven that once again.’
Many thanks to BRWZL for the photos!
