An explosion and fire destroyed several apartments in a neighborhood of the city dutch The city of The Hague in the early hours of Saturday, killed at least three people and injured several people, police said.
The cause of the crash is unclear, but police said a car drove away from the scene “at a high rate of speed” shortly after. Mayor Jan van Zanen said investigators are looking into “all possibilities.”
It is not yet known how many people may be missing, however CBS News partner BBC reported Emergency services are searching for up to 20 people believed to be in the destroyed apartments. Authorities said four people have been rescued from the rubble and taken to hospital. AFP reported on Saturday evening local time that another person was pulled from the rubble and taken to hospital.
Van Zanen said three bodies were pulled from the rubble. The mayor said rescuers were no longer looking for survivors but for possible bodies, but could not specify how many people might still be missing.
Phil Nijhuis / AP
Local media reported that one of those admitted was a child. They also reported that at least five apartments were destroyed by the blast.
“The fire is releasing a lot of smoke in the surrounding area… Residents are advised to close windows and doors and turn off ventilation,” authorities said, according to AFP.
Phil Nijhuis / AP
A line of ambulances could be seen waiting nearby in anticipation of more victims. The local hospital spokesman said they were on standby to deal with the injuries.
The mayor described it as “an extremely heavy day”.
“I had expected a different Saturday,” van Zanen told a news conference.
Residents of the northeastern Mariahoeve neighborhood in The Hague heard a loud bang and screams before dawn. One woman told local media that she thought an earthquake had happened.
“I was asleep and suddenly there was a huge explosion,” 14-year-old Adam Miller told AFP. “I looked out the window and all I saw was flames. It’s a massive shock.”
Phil Nijhuis / AP
Dutch authorities deployed a specialized urban search and rescue team to the scene, with four dogs trained to find victims. The equipment was previously used during the devastating earthquake in Turkey in 2023.
Premier Dick Schoof said in a statement that he was shocked by the images of the disaster. “My thoughts are with the victims, everyone else involved and the emergency services now working at the scene,” he said.
The Dutch royal family expressed similar sentiments.
“Our thoughts are with those affected in The Hague after this morning’s explosion and fire,” including those “who fear the fate of their loved ones,” King Willem-Alexander and the Queen said Maximum in a statement.