Two Dutch government ministers resigned today after a damning report condemned safety lapses at a detention centre where 11 illegal immigrants died in a fire last October.
The Dutch justice and housing ministers quit after the report into the fire at the centre at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. It criticised the Justice Ministry and was a major embarrassment for the government just two months ahead of a national election.
"There would have been few or no victims to mourn if fire safety had received attention from the relevant authorities," the Dutch Safety Board said today.
Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner's department was condemned for inadequate safety measures and ordered to check fire safety at all penal institutions within a year.
Housing Minister Sybilla Dekker ran the Government Buildings Agency, which commissioned and administered the complex.
Shortcomings in the buildings, built in 2002, had intensified the fire and made it harder for fire officers to reach those trapped, the report said. Staff were also inadequately trained for emergencies, it added.