An explosion has caused several injuries and damaged apartments in a Dutch city

[December 07, 2024]  By MOLLY QUELL

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An explosion and fire rocked a neighborhood in the Dutch city of The Hague early Saturday, destroying several apartments and injuring multiple people, according to authorities. 

A firefighter works at the sight of an explosion at an apartment block in The Hague, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Nijhuis)

The cause of the disaster is unclear, but police said they are looking for a car seen leaving the scene.

Emergency authorities said four people have been rescued from the rubble and taken to the hospital, but could not say how many people may still be under the rubble. Local media reported that one of those hospitalized was a child.

A line of ambulances could be seen waiting nearby in anticipation of more victims. The spokesperson for the local hospital said that 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.

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.

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