Rotterdam Blast Survivor’s Uncle Acquitted After Facing Seven-Year Prison Term
Two years after the explosion that killed his nephew and two other people in Rotterdam, Jalal O., 37, has been acquitted. Dutch prosecutors had sought a seven-year prison sentence for the Moroccan-born entrepreneur, who became a suspect after taking part in the search for victims.
On January 29, 2024, an explosion ripped through a building on Schammenkamp Street in Rotterdam. Three men died, including Ilyass, 22, Jalal O.’s nephew. Apartments collapsed, residents were injured and the neighborhood was devastated.
Jalal, the tenant of the commercial premises where the blast originated, rushed back from Belgium. He crossed police cordons to demand that the search be accelerated. His intervention initially made him appear to be a hero. A few days later, he became a suspect: investigators had discovered traces of drug-related activity.
As the investigation progressed, the accusations grew more serious. Prosecutors suspected him of allowing a clandestine laboratory to operate on his premises. They ultimately sought a seven-year prison sentence. Jalal denied any involvement and said he had entrusted the rear part of the building to someone else.
The court finds no evidence of his involvement
On October 27, 2026, the Rotterdam court acquitted him of all charges. The judges found that procaine, a substance used to cut cocaine, had been processed at the site the day before the disaster. They placed the probable origin of the explosion at the rear of the premises, where a mixture of acetone and air may have detonated.
No wiretap, video, witness statement or phone data showed that Jalal knew about these activities. The lies identified in his account, particularly concerning his phone, were also insufficient to convict him.
The families had sought compensation from Jalal O.. Their claims were ruled inadmissible in these criminal proceedings; they can take their case to civil court. The lawyer for the widow of Kamran Khan, a father of three, hopes prosecutors will appeal.
The court also lifted the order for pretrial detention, which had been suspended since 2024. Jalal can remove his electronic ankle monitor. Prosecutors have two weeks to decide whether to appeal.
