Car completely bursts into flames after it suddenly catches fire at a roundabout, four occupants are able to escape in the nick of time (Maaseik)

On Saturday around 1 p.m., a car caught fire on the evening in Maaseik. The four Romanian occupants were able to escape to safety in the nick of time. The fire caused heavy traffic chaos around the evening, with a very long traffic jam towards the Netherlands.

The four Romanian workers were on their way to a yard in Ophoven in their station wagon when the car suddenly caught fire. That happened on the Ovonde in Maaseik between the Maasbrug and the exit towards Ophoven. The driver tried to park the car in a parking lot at the Maasbrug, but was unable to do so. The four Romanian workers were able to escape from the burning vehicle in the nick of time and reach safety. Behind the car was a trailer full of materials. It was disconnected in time.

The fire brigade of Maaseik (East Limburg) arrived on site to extinguish the fire, but the car was completely engulfed in flames. Because the fire broke out on the ovonde, where there is only one lane, there was traffic chaos. There was stationary traffic on Koningin Boudewijnlaan towards Siemkensheuvel, on Heppersteenweg, on Koningin Fabiolalaan and on the Maasbrug. The traffic jam on the Maasbrug towards the Netherlands quickly extended to the center of Roosteren and the entrance to the A2 motorway.

Detour

The Maasland police sent traffic back towards Siemkensheuvel via a roundabout on Koning Boudewijnlaan, at the entrance to Heppeneert. Traffic coming from Ophoven had to take a diversion at the ovation via the center streets of Maaseik. Traffic coming from the Netherlands was sent along wide cycle paths on the Ovonde towards Maaseik centre.

No one was injured in the accident. The four Romanian workers were picked up by friends from the burning vehicle. Two traffic signs were destroyed by the flames. The car was towed around 2:30 PM and the traffic problem slowly resolved itself.