Schiphol survivor: "I hear they still yell"

There was a lot of smoke. He heard the fire alarm. But what Chafik Chnachi (37) was the worst: the screams. That went to the marrow. "And when it was quiet, I knew enough. Those people just have guilds, were dead. Stitched, burned."

Chafik still sleeping. Nightmares. Sometimes he dare not go out, afraid of people. When he hears or smells a barbecue smell from neighbors sirens, panic strikes. He still visits therapists."Sometimes I think I hear voices.? Why am I not dead because it is a stupid, stupid idea, but sometimes that really shoot through my head."

'They are dead'
Chafik came in 1998 from Morocco to the Netherlands, for a better life. The first month he had a visa, then he lived in the Netherlands illegally. In 2005 he was caught and he ended up in jail at Schiphol. At K department, room number 23, to be exact. One of the cells was opened when the fire broke out on October 26 at 23:55, with a total of eleven people dead. Chafik: "I had an angel on my shoulder I realize only too well.."

The corridor from his cell was blue with smoke. "I've been called to guards: there are two women, they are still alive, but she still detained Those guards just did nothing Can you imagine that there are people just died..?."

Misery
It was a woman from the Dominican Republic and a Ukrainian woman. "I think that's the worst. Some I knew. The Ukrainian woman (Oksana Nynych, ed.), There was only since that afternoon. At 16:00 they arrived. The same day she died."

After the fire were 39 casualties a residence permit, including Chafik. "That was fine, finally certainty I want to stay in the Netherlands, but, I always say to friends:.. I received my passport in exchange for misery If I could turn in my passport at the IND in exchange for good health. without trauma, I would so do that. "

Conflagration
The blaze was caused by a Libyan, a cigarette which darted away towards the foot of the bed where he lay. But the man was after years of persecution eventually acquitted of blame for the fire and its consequences.

Residency
When the fire started, there were at least 268 foreigners in the complex. 39 of these asylum seekers were initially rejected on August 31, 2006 by Minister Rita Verdonk still a residence permit.

'Errors'
Immediately after the fire was investigated the fire safety of the detention by the Dutch Safety Board. This showed that the Government Buildings Agency and the Municipality of Haarlemmermeer to have done little to security and fire safety. For responsible then Ministers Piet Hein Donner (Justice) and Sybilla Dekker (VROM), the criticism was led to resign in September 2006.

© RTL Nieuws / Lisanne of Sadelhoff