Explosion in The Hague: Rescue efforts midst building collapse
Since this morning, services in The Hague, located in the western Netherlands, have been put on the highest alert. This is due to a building disaster following an explosion in a three-story residential building. Search efforts are underway for injured individuals trapped under the debris, and four injured people have already been rescued.
On Saturday morning in The Hague, in the western Netherlands, an explosion resulted in the partial collapse of a three-story residential building. Rescuers are still searching for survivors amidst the rubble. The situation was complicated for a while by a fire that broke out following the explosion.
The explosion destroyed several apartments in the building located in the Mariahoeve neighborhood in the northeast of The Hague. Emergency services reported that they managed to rescue four people from under the rubble, who were subsequently taken to the hospital.
However, it is unclear how many individuals might still be trapped under the collapsed building. The AP agency reported "multiple" injured, with estimates suggesting about 20 people could be buried under the debris. Ambulances are stationed in front of the site, ready to assist more victims.
Building disaster in the Netherlands
The cause of the explosion is not yet known. Residents in the area reported hearing a powerful explosion and people screaming before dawn. One woman told the media she initially thought it was an earthquake.
At this moment, services are conducting rescue and search operations and extinguishing the fire – related the fire brigade in a statement, quoted by AFP.
The information about the incident was provided by the Dutch authorities and the AP agency. Once it is ensured that no one is left in the debris, services will begin investigating what caused the explosion, which led to the building's partial collapse.
