A three-storey apartment block in The Hague partially collapsed following a fire and explosion on Saturday, firefighters said, and first responders were searching for people under the debris.
Four people have already been pulled out of the debris and taken to hospital, with specialized teams along with sniffer dogs deployed to rescue others trapped in the disaster.
It is not known how many people are still missing nor what caused the explosion in a block of flats away from the city centre.
“We still don’t know how many people may be under the debris,” a police officer at the scene told AFP.
An AFP reporter at the scene saw dozens of fire engines as firefighters tackled the blaze from the ground and from high places. Police helicopters kept circling overhead.
Debris was strewn across the road and many windows were blown out, an AFP reporter said.
A huge plume of smoke was coming out of a big hole where the building stood, causing a pungent smell in the air.
“I was sleeping and suddenly there was this big explosion,” local resident Adam Muller, 14, told AFP.
“I looked out the window and saw the flames. It’s a big shock,” he said.
‘Like an earthquake’
Officials warned locals to keep their windows closed and turn off ventilation systems due to the smoke.
An AFP correspondent said forensic investigators arrived at the scene to begin investigating the possible cause of the crash.
Police are appealing for witnesses, saying a car drove away from the scene at high speed after the blast, which occurred around 6:15 a.m. (0515 GMT).
Officials said the building had three floors of shops and five two-storey apartments on the ground floor, with living rooms on the second floor and bedrooms on the top.
The city’s mayor, Jan van Zaanen, visited the scene to coordinate rescue efforts.
“It was like an earthquake,” said a 53-year-old man, who identified himself as Dimi, and declined to give his family name.
“Something collapsed but we didn’t see where it came from. I know these neighbors. My children go to school with them.”
“My new car has also been seriously damaged,” he said.
Initial images from public broadcaster NOS showed several dozen firefighters tackling a large blaze and breaking down doors to access the block.
A photo by local news agency ANP showed a man being carried on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance.
Area hospitals were prepared to treat the victims.
Residents told local media that the apartment block was mainly occupied by elderly people and families with children.
About 40 residents of other blocks near the collapsed building have been evacuated. Some have been taken by bus to an unknown place.
Prime Minister Dick Schuof wrote on Twitter that he was “shocked by the horrific images of a collapsed apartment building in The Hague.”
“My thoughts go out to the victims, everyone else involved and the emergency services who are now working at the scene,” Shoof said.
He said he has been in touch with city officials and they have promised necessary help.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander wrote on social media: “We sympathize with those who are personally affected or are worried about their loved ones.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
