At least four people have died after an explosion and fire caused the collapse of a building in The Hague.
At the same time, the chances of finding other survivors are slim, said the mayor of the city.
Four people have lost their lives
The cause of the explosion in the Mariahoeve district of the Dutch city early Saturday morning was unclear.
Police confirmed that four bodies had been pulled from the wreckage, as fears grow that the toll could rise much higher, according to the Guardian.
The mayor, Jan van Zanen, told reporters: “It is not known how many people are still under the debris, but the reality is that there is little chance of survival for them… It is unbelievable what happened there.”
He said three injured people were taken to hospital and emergency services were still working on the scene, but “what started as a rescue operation has now turned into a recovery operation. We are expecting the worst case scenario.”
The mayor declined to speculate on how many people might be buried under the rubble, saying recovery operations would take a long time. He also could not say what caused the explosion, adding that detectives were at the scene to investigate the possibilities.
There was a huge bang
Residents of the northeast neighborhood reported hearing a loud bang and screams before dawn. A woman told local media that she thought there had been an earthquake.
The Hague fire service said: “At the moment, the emergency services are busy rescuing and searching for people and dealing with the fire.”
What did the prime minister and the king say?
The Prime Minister, Dick Schoof, wrote in X that he was “shocked by the terrible images of the collapsed apartment building in The Hague.
“My thoughts are with the victims, everyone else involved and the emergency services now working at the scene.”
Shocked by the terrible images of a collapsed apartment in The Hague. My thoughts go out to the victims, everyone else involved and the emergency services who are now working on site. This morning I had contact with Mayor Van Zanen and he…
— Dick Schoof (@MinPres)
He said he had contacted the city authorities and promised any assistance needed.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander wrote on social media: “We sympathize with those who are personally affected or are worried about their loved ones.”
