Explosion rocks The Hague: Search for survivors ongoing
Since the morning, services in The Hague in the western Netherlands have been placed on the highest alert. This is due to a building disaster that occurred following an explosion in a three-storey residential building. Currently, search efforts are in progress for injured individuals beneath the rubble, from which four people have already been rescued.
On Saturday morning in The Hague, in the western Netherlands, there was an explosion that caused the partial collapse of a three-storey residential building. Rescuers are still searching for survivors under the debris. The situation was further complicated by the fire that broke out after the explosion.
As a result of the explosion, several flats in the building in the Mariahoeve neighbourhood in the northeast of The Hague were destroyed. Emergency services reported that they managed to extract four people from under the rubble, who were taken to hospital.
However, it is not yet known how many people might still be trapped under the collapsed residential building. The AP agency reported "multiple" injured. Estimates suggest about 20 people could be buried under the debris. Ambulances are positioned at the scene, ready for more casualties.
Building disaster in the Netherlands
The cause of the explosion is not yet known. Residents of the area reported hearing a powerful explosion and people screaming before dawn. One woman told the media she thought it was an earthquake.
At this moment, services are conducting rescue and search operations and extinguishing the fire – the fire brigade conveyed in a statement, quoted by AFP.
The information about the incident was provided by the Dutch authorities and the AP agency. After ensuring that there is no one left in the debris, services will attempt to determine what caused the explosion, which led to the partial collapse of the building.
