Netherlands explosion kills at least 4, destroys block of flats in The Hague

An explosion and fire rocked a neighbourhood in the Dutch city of The Hague on Saturday, killing four people, injuring others and destroying several apartments, according to authorities.

The cause of the disaster was unclear. Mayor Jan van Zanen said investigators were looking into “all possibilities”. Police said they are looking for a car seen leaving the scene in case that helps with the investigation.

Four bodies were pulled from the rubble. Emergency authorities said four people were rescued and taken to the hospital.

The mayor said rescuers were no longer looking for survivors but for eventual bodies, given that the ‘’slim chance of survival’’ under what’s left of the apartments. He could not specify how many people might still be unaccounted for.

Residents of the northeastern neighbourhood of Mariahoeve in The Hague heard a huge bang and screams before dawn. One woman told local media that she thought an earthquake had happened.

Dutch authorities deployed a specialised urban search and rescue team to the scene, with four dogs trained to find victims. The team was previously used during the devastating earthquake in Turkey in 2023.