Explosion destroys apartments, injures several in Dutch city

An explosion and fire rocked a neighborhood in the Dutch city of The Hague early Saturday, destroying several apartments and injuring multiple people, police said.

The cause of the disaster is unclear but police said a car drove away from the scene “at very high speed” shortly after.

It is still unknown how many people may be missing, though CBS News partner BBC reported emergency first responders are looking for up to 20 people thought to be in the destroyed apartments. Authorities said four people have been rescued from the rubble and taken to the hospital.

Local media reported that one of those hospitalized was a child. They also reported that at least five apartments were destroyed in the blast.

“The fire is releasing a lot of smoke in the immediate vicinity… Residents are advised to close windows and doors and turn off ventilation,” authorities said, according to AFP.

A line of ambulances could be seen waiting nearby in anticipation of more victims. The local hospital spokesperson said they were on standby to deal with injuries.

Residents of the northeastern neighborhood 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.

“I was asleep and suddenly there was this huge bang,” 14-year-old Adam Miller told AFP. “I looked out of the window and just saw flames. It’s a massive shock.”

Dutch authorities deployed a specialized 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.

Prime Minister Dick Schoof said in a statement he was shocked by the images of the disaster. “My thoughts go out to the victims, all other people involved and the emergency services who are now working on the scene,” he said.

The Dutch royal family expressed similar sentiments. 

“Our thoughts are with those affected in The Hague after the explosion and fire this morning,” including those “who are afraid of the fate of their loved ones,” King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima said in a statement.