Explosion hits block of flats in The Hague
An explosion occurred in a three-storey apartment in The Hague, police said.
Firefighters rushed to the scene at around 06:15 (05:15 GMT) and extinguished the fire which caused the collapse of several houses in the Tarwekamp area of ​​the city.
Rescue workers are searching for 20 people believed to have been present when the explosion occurred. So far, four people have been rescued from the rubble.
The cause of the explosion was unclear, but Dutch police said a car drove away “at a very high speed” shortly afterwards and appealed for witnesses to come forward.
Dutch media reported that five apartments were destroyed in the explosion.
Rescue teams with sniffer dogs have been sent to search the rubble, but some sites are still too dangerous to enter.
Fourteen-year-old Adam Mueller told AFP the explosion “felt like an earthquake”.
“I was sleeping and suddenly I heard a loud bang,” he said.
“I looked out the window and just saw flames. It was a huge shock,” he added.
Dutch national police chief Gianni Knoll said there was “doubt and uncertainty” in the community.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands said in a statement: “We express our sympathies to all those who have been personally affected or who are concerned about the fate of their loved ones.”
Police are expected to provide an update at 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT).
