Several people have been injured after an explosion destroyed a three-storey apartment block in The Hague.
The cause of the explosion in the Mariahoeve neighbourhood of the Dutch city was unclear. Emergency authorities said four people had been rescued and taken to hospital, but could not say how many people may still be under the rubble.
Ambulances could be seen lining up in anticipation of more victims. The spokesperson for the local hospital said they were on standby to deal with injuries.
Residents of the north-eastern neighbourhood said they heard a huge bang and screams before dawn. One woman told local media she thought there had been an earthquake.
The Hague’s fire service said: “At this moment, the emergency services are busy rescuing and searching for people and fighting the fire.”
An Agence France-Presse reporter on the scene said there were dozens of fire engines as firefighters battled the blaze from the ground and from higher positions. Debris was strewn across the street and several windows in the vicinity had been blown out, the reporter said.
Huge plumes of smoke were billowing from a large hole where the building stood, with an acrid smell in the air.
City officials said: “The fire is releasing a lot of smoke in the immediate vicinity. Residents are advised to close windows and doors and turn off ventilation.”
The Hague’s mayor, Jan van Zanen, was on site to coordinate rescue efforts, according to the Regio15 news website.
Homes on several floors appeared to have been destroyed by the explosion, said Regio15. Early images from the public broadcaster NOS showed several dozen firefighters tackling a large blaze and breaking down doors to gain access to the block.
A picture from the local news agency ANP showed one person being taken away on a stretcher into an ambulance.
Dutch authorities deployed a specialised urban search and rescue team to the scene, including four dogs trained to find victims. The team was previously used during the devastating earthquake in Turkey in 2023.
