Headlines July
F-16 drove into a building after an incident at Leeuwarden Air Base: two people were injured
A Belgian F-16 aircraft crashed into a building at Leeuwarden Air Base on Thursday morning. The pilot used the ejection seat and was injured.
It happened during the start-up of a jet fighter, which was still stationary at the time. The fighter plane is said to have 'runaway', after which the pilot used the ejection seat.
The fighter jet then drove into the opposite building, a person who was present in that building was injured. The Air Base reports that two people were injured when the building was rammed.
The pilot of the F-16 was injured after using the ejection seat and was taken to hospital. Someone who was working in a technical room in the building was also injured. The person suffered minor injuries and was checked by paramedics at the scene. Two so-called crash tenders, special types of fire brigade vehicles that are mainly used at airports, of the fire brigade started to extinguish the F-16, but there was no question of a fire or explosion, according to the Air Base. It is not yet known how the incident could have started and is under investigation. The Dutch Safety Board will conduct an exploratory investigation at Leeuwarden Air Base . The traffic accident analysis of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee is also on site.
The pilot participated in the Weapons Instructor Course at that airbase, in which 24 students from the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway participate. During the six-month course they are trained as weapons instructors. The F-16s from Leeuwarden Air Base would take off for the last time from the air base on Thursday, the new location for the fighter aircraft will be Volkel Air Base. An entire farewell was planned, with a photo opportunity, but that has been canceled for the time being due to the incident with the F-16.
Source: https://www.lc.nl/friesland/leeuwarden/F-16-is-na-incident-op-vliegbasis-Leeuwarden-een-pand-in-gereden-twee-personen-gewond-geraakt-26915683.html
Waardenburg company victim of major cyber attack: 'Impact is huge'
ICT company VelzArt from Waardenburg is one of the Dutch companies that fell victim to a large-scale cyber attack.
The global attack began Friday night and is linked to a Russian hacker group. So-called ransomware or ransomware blocks access to victims' files, including the Waardenburg company VelzArt. The key is usually only released after payment of ransom. The attack that is now underway may have started at Kaseya, a supplier of IT management software. VelzArt has been using Kaseya since 2010 to manage and maintain customer computer systems. “Despite the transition we made very recently towards a new software solution, the Kaseya software was still on many of our customers' systems for specific management purposes,” the company explains on its website.
'Crisis Center'
Since the hack, the company has been working around the clock on solutions. 'The night shift was relieved at 08.00 this morning by the day shift, for imaging.' The company on the Ringweistraat in Waardenburg has been 'renamed into a controlled crisis center' In addition to VelzArt, technical service provider Hoppenbrouwers was also affected by the attack in the Netherlands. The hackers may have also stolen data from the university in Leiden .
Huge impact
According to VelzArt, systems that were switched on between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday were infected. 'So far, infected systems have come in different variants. Some systems are completely inaccessible, others can still be used.' VelzArt could not be reached for comment on Saturday evening. The company writes that the impact of the attack is "enormous". 'We live in the fortunate circumstance that our customers think along very well with us, which in turn gives morale to our own people. We will also get this job done, thank you for everyone's patience and understanding.
Source: https://www.gelderlander.nl/west-betuwe/waardenburgs-bedrijf-slachtoffer-van-grote-cyberaanval-impact-is-enorm~a0f79194/
Philips ventilator sales will be halted for a year
Philips has stopped selling ventilators after the group recalled between 3 and 4 million units last month . Users of the devices could inhale harmful gases and foam particles. The manufacturer has completely shut down sales since the recall. It is expected to take another year before the issues with the devices are resolved and sales can resume. That says CEO Frans van Houten in conversation with the NOS.
Due to the sales freeze in mid-June, sales in the second quarter fell between 10 and 100 percent compared to the same period a year ago. The company previously set aside half a billion euros for the recovery operation.
Devices still usable for the time being
Philips is preparing to replace and repair the devices. The regulators in the relevant countries must first give permission for such adjustments to medical equipment. For this, the countries in which the machines are sold look to the US, where the Philips factory is located. The authorities there have not yet approved the modifications, so the replacement and repair has not yet started. Earlier this month, the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate announced that people can continue to use Philips devices for the time being as long as they cannot be repaired or replaced. As far as we now know, this is not harmful in the short term, but more research is needed to rule out long-term damage.
Chip shortages
Philips also announced its results for the second quarter of this year. Turnover grew by 9 percent to 4.2 billion euros. Net profit decreased from 210 million euros to 153 million euros. According to Van Houten, this decrease is entirely attributable to the problems with the ventilators. Like many other manufacturers of electronic devices and, for example, cars, Philips is struggling with the worldwide shortage of computer chips. Previously, this allowed the company to produce fewer defibrillators . Meanwhile, more of the so-called AEDs are coming out of the factory, but production is not yet at the old level. Philips can still supply the desired number of other devices. This can be achieved by redesigning parts ourselves, or by obtaining replacement parts. As a result, CEO Van Houten does not see any problems at the moment and in the next few months. There is, however, "some work to do" for the last quarter of this year, to prevent production from slowing down or coming to a standstill. That means that there are not enough chips for that period at the moment.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2390882-verkoop-beademingsapparaten-philips-blijft-een-jaar-stilliggen
Drugs for heart failure and high blood pressure recalled
Some medicines for high blood pressure and heart failure have been found to contain too much impurity. These are medicines containing losartan, valsartan or irbesartan. In consultation with the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) and the Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB), the manufacturers are recalling these medicines. "There is no direct risk to patients," says the health inspector. The majority of the medicines are in order, the inspectorate continues. The drugs are only available with a prescription. The impurity, called AZBT, appears to be partly higher than allowed. “The parties that are above the limit are now being removed from the market as a precaution because they do not meet the quality requirements.”
exchange free of charge
The numbers of the medicines containing too much of the impurity are known to the pharmacists. They help patients to exchange their medicines (free of charge) for an equivalent medicine, the Inspectorate reports. Patients who use other party or brand resources can continue to do so. Patients who are on holiday can safely exchange their medicines at the pharmacy after their holiday. The limit for the impurity in question is very strict. All manufacturers of losartan, valsartan and irbesartan are now adapting their production process.
Source: https://www.ad.nl/gezond/medicijnen-tegen-hartfalen-en-hoge-bloeddruk-teruggeroepen~a095e1a9/
Power failure Maastricht UMC indeed caused the death of two patients
Due to the power failure at Maastricht UMC at the end of April, two corona patients died at an accelerated rate. This was announced on Friday during a hospital press conference. At the beginning of May, the UMC already suspected that there was a connection. An independent investigation has now confirmed this.
This is what we know so far
During the press conference, Richard Dekhuijzen, who led the investigation into the incident, announced that the power outage happened around 11 p.m. Only at 0.20 a nurse saw on images that a patient was moving restlessly. The nurse arrived within a minute and saw that the Optiflow, the device that supplied the patients with oxygen, was not working. Because the door was closed due to the increased risk of infection, staff in other areas had not heard the alarm, the investigation shows. The nurse then plugged the device into another outlet, which did work. Then he realized that there were more people on an Optiflow. The nurse then connected the device to a different socket for a second patient. In total, the patients were without oxygen for five quarters of an hour.
Doctors and nurses acted appropriately
The first patient died that same night. The other patient died two days later. It concerns two people from Maastricht, aged 67 and 76. Dekhuijzen emphasizes that the nurses and doctors acted appropriately as soon as they realized that they had to intervene. The affected patients would very likely have died even without the power outage. They were "extremely critically ill" with a "particularly poor prognosis", according to Dekhuijzen.
Uncertainty about the usefulness of Optiflow
There was a lack of clarity among those involved as to why they were on the oxygen device. "The Optiflow does not only have to have healing as its goal, it can also be comfort. The doctors, nursing staff and family had mixed views about the usefulness of the Optiflow," says Dekhuijzen. The power failure occurred in an earth leakage circuit breaker that protects against short circuits, high leakage current and overload. It is not known what exactly was wrong, which caused the earth leakage circuit breaker itself to cause problems.
Severe weather in the Netherlands with a lot of damage and impact
VieCuri hospital completely evacuated due to high water
The VieCuri hospital in Venlo is being completely evacuated due to the high water level in the adjacent Maas. The hospital is closed for emergency care and 200 patients are being transferred to other hospitals. The Limburg-North Safety Region and the VieCuri Medical Center decided this on Friday afternoon.
Preventive
The evacuation is carried out as a precaution 'to avoid any chance of flooding'. From 6 p.m., emergency patients will be forwarded to surrounding hospitals. This also applies to visitors to the Huisartsenpost (HAP) and Vincent van Gogh (GGZ). Nursing institutions and home care organizations also contribute to taking over as many patients as possible. In addition, the birth center in the hospital is closed for deliveries. "Pregnants are already being referred to other birth centers from this point on," the hospital said.
Transferred
From Friday afternoon, 200 patients will also be transferred from VieCuri to other hospitals or they will be 'discharged' early and allowed to go home. This is done in consultation with the National Coordination Center for Patient Distribution (LCPS) and the Regional Consultation Acute Care Chain (ROAZ) Limburg. The patients and their relatives are personally informed. Visits for patients who are still in hospital pending evacuation are possible, with a maximum of one visitor per patient.
'Maximum effort to provide support'
"We sympathize greatly with our colleagues at the VieCuri Medical Center. As a region, we will therefore make every effort to provide support wherever possible. The focus is now on a coordinated distribution of patients But we are also ready for patients who need care and can't go to the Venlo hospital right now," said chair Helen Mertens of ROAZ Limburg.
Patient stop
On Thursday evening, the hospital decided not to accept any new patients due to the rising water level in the Meuse. Non-emergency operations have also been halted from Friday. The first aid station remained open for acute care, but it will also close at the beginning of the evening on Friday.
Source: https://www.1limburg.nl/ziekenhuis-viecuri-volledig-ontruimd-vanwege-hoogwater
Government closed immediately
The government in Maastricht will be closed immediately on Thursday afternoon. The province believes the risk of flooding is too high.
The province points out that water levels will rise in the coming hours. "There is a chance that critical areas of the Government on the Meuse will be flooded," said the province. "We are working hard to prevent this. For safety reasons, it was decided on Thursday afternoon to close the building immediately." Earlier in the afternoon, the province decided to only 'switch off' the electricity in a 'controlled way' and to secure the ICT equipment in the lower areas of the Government. So now it has been decided to close the entire provincial government.
Source: https://www.1limburg.nl/gouvernement-direct-gesloten?context=default
Gulpener brewery partly shut down due to severe weather
Gulpener brewery has been partially shut down due to the flooding. Because the electricity grid is unstable, the beer brewer from Gulpen cannot fill kegs and bottles for the time being, director Jean-Paul Rutten says.
Deliveries are still going on.
Power failure
Other parts of the brewing process can in principle still continue, Rutten indicates. But filling is one of the most intensive processes in the brewery. Because the power sometimes goes out, Gulpener cannot continue with this for the time being.
Warehouse cleared
Employees clear the warehouse where Gulpener stores all brewing supplies. "I am emptying the warehouse with ten people, which has been flooded. De Gulp is on the other side of the street."
Horeca misery
It is not yet possible to say what the financial damage will be for Gulpener. "If it stays this way, it has remained reasonably under control. But that is different for other entrepreneurs here, such as catering businesses. They had to close all this time and now have to close for two months to restore things," said Rutten. The supply of Gulpener to catering, supermarkets and other shops is not endangered. These stocks are located in North Brabant.
Source: https://www.1limburg.nl/brouwerij-gulpener-deels-stilgelegd-vanwege-noodweer?context=section-1
A Belgian F-16 aircraft crashed into a building at Leeuwarden Air Base on Thursday morning. The pilot used the ejection seat and was injured.
It happened during the start-up of a jet fighter, which was still stationary at the time. The fighter plane is said to have 'runaway', after which the pilot used the ejection seat.
The fighter jet then drove into the opposite building, a person who was present in that building was injured. The Air Base reports that two people were injured when the building was rammed.
The pilot of the F-16 was injured after using the ejection seat and was taken to hospital. Someone who was working in a technical room in the building was also injured. The person suffered minor injuries and was checked by paramedics at the scene. Two so-called crash tenders, special types of fire brigade vehicles that are mainly used at airports, of the fire brigade started to extinguish the F-16, but there was no question of a fire or explosion, according to the Air Base. It is not yet known how the incident could have started and is under investigation. The Dutch Safety Board will conduct an exploratory investigation at Leeuwarden Air Base . The traffic accident analysis of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee is also on site.
The pilot participated in the Weapons Instructor Course at that airbase, in which 24 students from the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway participate. During the six-month course they are trained as weapons instructors. The F-16s from Leeuwarden Air Base would take off for the last time from the air base on Thursday, the new location for the fighter aircraft will be Volkel Air Base. An entire farewell was planned, with a photo opportunity, but that has been canceled for the time being due to the incident with the F-16.
Source: https://www.lc.nl/friesland/leeuwarden/F-16-is-na-incident-op-vliegbasis-Leeuwarden-een-pand-in-gereden-twee-personen-gewond-geraakt-26915683.html
Waardenburg company victim of major cyber attack: 'Impact is huge'
ICT company VelzArt from Waardenburg is one of the Dutch companies that fell victim to a large-scale cyber attack.
The global attack began Friday night and is linked to a Russian hacker group. So-called ransomware or ransomware blocks access to victims' files, including the Waardenburg company VelzArt. The key is usually only released after payment of ransom. The attack that is now underway may have started at Kaseya, a supplier of IT management software. VelzArt has been using Kaseya since 2010 to manage and maintain customer computer systems. “Despite the transition we made very recently towards a new software solution, the Kaseya software was still on many of our customers' systems for specific management purposes,” the company explains on its website.
'Crisis Center'
Since the hack, the company has been working around the clock on solutions. 'The night shift was relieved at 08.00 this morning by the day shift, for imaging.' The company on the Ringweistraat in Waardenburg has been 'renamed into a controlled crisis center' In addition to VelzArt, technical service provider Hoppenbrouwers was also affected by the attack in the Netherlands. The hackers may have also stolen data from the university in Leiden .
Huge impact
According to VelzArt, systems that were switched on between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday were infected. 'So far, infected systems have come in different variants. Some systems are completely inaccessible, others can still be used.' VelzArt could not be reached for comment on Saturday evening. The company writes that the impact of the attack is "enormous". 'We live in the fortunate circumstance that our customers think along very well with us, which in turn gives morale to our own people. We will also get this job done, thank you for everyone's patience and understanding.
Source: https://www.gelderlander.nl/west-betuwe/waardenburgs-bedrijf-slachtoffer-van-grote-cyberaanval-impact-is-enorm~a0f79194/
Philips ventilator sales will be halted for a year
Philips has stopped selling ventilators after the group recalled between 3 and 4 million units last month . Users of the devices could inhale harmful gases and foam particles. The manufacturer has completely shut down sales since the recall. It is expected to take another year before the issues with the devices are resolved and sales can resume. That says CEO Frans van Houten in conversation with the NOS.
Due to the sales freeze in mid-June, sales in the second quarter fell between 10 and 100 percent compared to the same period a year ago. The company previously set aside half a billion euros for the recovery operation.
Devices still usable for the time being
Philips is preparing to replace and repair the devices. The regulators in the relevant countries must first give permission for such adjustments to medical equipment. For this, the countries in which the machines are sold look to the US, where the Philips factory is located. The authorities there have not yet approved the modifications, so the replacement and repair has not yet started. Earlier this month, the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate announced that people can continue to use Philips devices for the time being as long as they cannot be repaired or replaced. As far as we now know, this is not harmful in the short term, but more research is needed to rule out long-term damage.
Chip shortages
Philips also announced its results for the second quarter of this year. Turnover grew by 9 percent to 4.2 billion euros. Net profit decreased from 210 million euros to 153 million euros. According to Van Houten, this decrease is entirely attributable to the problems with the ventilators. Like many other manufacturers of electronic devices and, for example, cars, Philips is struggling with the worldwide shortage of computer chips. Previously, this allowed the company to produce fewer defibrillators . Meanwhile, more of the so-called AEDs are coming out of the factory, but production is not yet at the old level. Philips can still supply the desired number of other devices. This can be achieved by redesigning parts ourselves, or by obtaining replacement parts. As a result, CEO Van Houten does not see any problems at the moment and in the next few months. There is, however, "some work to do" for the last quarter of this year, to prevent production from slowing down or coming to a standstill. That means that there are not enough chips for that period at the moment.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2390882-verkoop-beademingsapparaten-philips-blijft-een-jaar-stilliggen
Drugs for heart failure and high blood pressure recalled
Some medicines for high blood pressure and heart failure have been found to contain too much impurity. These are medicines containing losartan, valsartan or irbesartan. In consultation with the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) and the Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB), the manufacturers are recalling these medicines. "There is no direct risk to patients," says the health inspector. The majority of the medicines are in order, the inspectorate continues. The drugs are only available with a prescription. The impurity, called AZBT, appears to be partly higher than allowed. “The parties that are above the limit are now being removed from the market as a precaution because they do not meet the quality requirements.”
exchange free of charge
The numbers of the medicines containing too much of the impurity are known to the pharmacists. They help patients to exchange their medicines (free of charge) for an equivalent medicine, the Inspectorate reports. Patients who use other party or brand resources can continue to do so. Patients who are on holiday can safely exchange their medicines at the pharmacy after their holiday. The limit for the impurity in question is very strict. All manufacturers of losartan, valsartan and irbesartan are now adapting their production process.
Source: https://www.ad.nl/gezond/medicijnen-tegen-hartfalen-en-hoge-bloeddruk-teruggeroepen~a095e1a9/
Power failure Maastricht UMC indeed caused the death of two patients
Due to the power failure at Maastricht UMC at the end of April, two corona patients died at an accelerated rate. This was announced on Friday during a hospital press conference. At the beginning of May, the UMC already suspected that there was a connection. An independent investigation has now confirmed this.
This is what we know so far
- A power outage occurred in the MUMC on the night of April 29 to 30
- That happened in one room of a nursing ward and was not immediately discovered
- Two patients who were seriously ill, according to the MUMC, had to deal with a malfunction in the oxygen supply
- A 76-year-old man died that night, a 67-year-old man died two days later
- The hospital has confirmed that there is a link between the power outage and the deaths
During the press conference, Richard Dekhuijzen, who led the investigation into the incident, announced that the power outage happened around 11 p.m. Only at 0.20 a nurse saw on images that a patient was moving restlessly. The nurse arrived within a minute and saw that the Optiflow, the device that supplied the patients with oxygen, was not working. Because the door was closed due to the increased risk of infection, staff in other areas had not heard the alarm, the investigation shows. The nurse then plugged the device into another outlet, which did work. Then he realized that there were more people on an Optiflow. The nurse then connected the device to a different socket for a second patient. In total, the patients were without oxygen for five quarters of an hour.
Doctors and nurses acted appropriately
The first patient died that same night. The other patient died two days later. It concerns two people from Maastricht, aged 67 and 76. Dekhuijzen emphasizes that the nurses and doctors acted appropriately as soon as they realized that they had to intervene. The affected patients would very likely have died even without the power outage. They were "extremely critically ill" with a "particularly poor prognosis", according to Dekhuijzen.
Uncertainty about the usefulness of Optiflow
There was a lack of clarity among those involved as to why they were on the oxygen device. "The Optiflow does not only have to have healing as its goal, it can also be comfort. The doctors, nursing staff and family had mixed views about the usefulness of the Optiflow," says Dekhuijzen. The power failure occurred in an earth leakage circuit breaker that protects against short circuits, high leakage current and overload. It is not known what exactly was wrong, which caused the earth leakage circuit breaker itself to cause problems.
Severe weather in the Netherlands with a lot of damage and impact
VieCuri hospital completely evacuated due to high water
The VieCuri hospital in Venlo is being completely evacuated due to the high water level in the adjacent Maas. The hospital is closed for emergency care and 200 patients are being transferred to other hospitals. The Limburg-North Safety Region and the VieCuri Medical Center decided this on Friday afternoon.
Preventive
The evacuation is carried out as a precaution 'to avoid any chance of flooding'. From 6 p.m., emergency patients will be forwarded to surrounding hospitals. This also applies to visitors to the Huisartsenpost (HAP) and Vincent van Gogh (GGZ). Nursing institutions and home care organizations also contribute to taking over as many patients as possible. In addition, the birth center in the hospital is closed for deliveries. "Pregnants are already being referred to other birth centers from this point on," the hospital said.
Transferred
From Friday afternoon, 200 patients will also be transferred from VieCuri to other hospitals or they will be 'discharged' early and allowed to go home. This is done in consultation with the National Coordination Center for Patient Distribution (LCPS) and the Regional Consultation Acute Care Chain (ROAZ) Limburg. The patients and their relatives are personally informed. Visits for patients who are still in hospital pending evacuation are possible, with a maximum of one visitor per patient.
'Maximum effort to provide support'
"We sympathize greatly with our colleagues at the VieCuri Medical Center. As a region, we will therefore make every effort to provide support wherever possible. The focus is now on a coordinated distribution of patients But we are also ready for patients who need care and can't go to the Venlo hospital right now," said chair Helen Mertens of ROAZ Limburg.
Patient stop
On Thursday evening, the hospital decided not to accept any new patients due to the rising water level in the Meuse. Non-emergency operations have also been halted from Friday. The first aid station remained open for acute care, but it will also close at the beginning of the evening on Friday.
Source: https://www.1limburg.nl/ziekenhuis-viecuri-volledig-ontruimd-vanwege-hoogwater
Government closed immediately
The government in Maastricht will be closed immediately on Thursday afternoon. The province believes the risk of flooding is too high.
The province points out that water levels will rise in the coming hours. "There is a chance that critical areas of the Government on the Meuse will be flooded," said the province. "We are working hard to prevent this. For safety reasons, it was decided on Thursday afternoon to close the building immediately." Earlier in the afternoon, the province decided to only 'switch off' the electricity in a 'controlled way' and to secure the ICT equipment in the lower areas of the Government. So now it has been decided to close the entire provincial government.
Source: https://www.1limburg.nl/gouvernement-direct-gesloten?context=default
Gulpener brewery partly shut down due to severe weather
Gulpener brewery has been partially shut down due to the flooding. Because the electricity grid is unstable, the beer brewer from Gulpen cannot fill kegs and bottles for the time being, director Jean-Paul Rutten says.
Deliveries are still going on.
Power failure
Other parts of the brewing process can in principle still continue, Rutten indicates. But filling is one of the most intensive processes in the brewery. Because the power sometimes goes out, Gulpener cannot continue with this for the time being.
Warehouse cleared
Employees clear the warehouse where Gulpener stores all brewing supplies. "I am emptying the warehouse with ten people, which has been flooded. De Gulp is on the other side of the street."
Horeca misery
It is not yet possible to say what the financial damage will be for Gulpener. "If it stays this way, it has remained reasonably under control. But that is different for other entrepreneurs here, such as catering businesses. They had to close all this time and now have to close for two months to restore things," said Rutten. The supply of Gulpener to catering, supermarkets and other shops is not endangered. These stocks are located in North Brabant.
Source: https://www.1limburg.nl/brouwerij-gulpener-deels-stilgelegd-vanwege-noodweer?context=section-1
Translated from Dutch to English with Google translate