Former Dutch champion dies in Mexico after an explosion at a house
Kim Akker, a 22-year-old judo representative from the Netherlands, died in Playa del Carmen after an explosion at the house of an Airbnb-type lodging platform.
This weekend the three-time national champion of this sport in the Netherlands, Kim Akker, died from third-degree burns suffered during the explosion of the house where she stayed in Playa del Carmen, in Quintana Roo.
The 22-year-old woman was in a rented house in Selva Nova, on Paseos del Mayab when a gas leak occurred.
Last Friday authorities from the municipality of Solidaridad reported that the malfunction in the fuel tank caused the explosion, so the young woman of Dutch origin was taken in a particular way to the General Hospital.
Kim had second and third-degree burns all over her body and although she remained in a coma for several hours, she finally died on Monday at 2:59 in the hospital.
The Attorney General's Office in Quintana Roo indicated that this accident caused scratches and superficial wounds in more people, so they were treated at the site of the explosion.
According to local media, Kim Akker resided in the tourist center of Playa del Carmen for work purposes. The house where she was staying was rented through the Airbnb-type lodging platform.
The Public Prosecutor's Office indicated that it initiated investigation 242/2019 for the explosion that occurred last July 5 in the Selva Nova neighborhood, Playa del Carmen in Quintana Roo.
"A close relative referred to the authorities that the young athlete K.A.A. initials, was since last March 13 on a recreational trip in the municipality of Solidarity," explained the state Attorney General in a statement.
The young woman's relatives took the necessary steps to identify and claim the body, which was allegedly cremated in Mexico.
The International Judo Federation lamented the death and wrote that Akker: "achieved the best victory of his career at the European Open in Glasgow in 2016 and retired in 2017 due to injuries.
Kim Akker won the Dutch national title in the U48kg lightweight category in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
EYOF, European Junior, and U23 Championships were some of the competitions in which the young Dutch woman retired at the top of her career due to knee injuries.
After the explosion, the mayor of the municipality of Solidaridad, Laura Beristain, said that they are already working to regulate this type of accommodation platform.
"We all want to have a safe place because safety is a problem for everyone."
