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One woman has died and several have been injured after an explosion and fire destroyed an apartment block in the Netherlands.
The loud bang and fire rocked the Mariahoeve neighbourhood in The Hague on Saturday morning.
The cause of the disaster is unclear, but police said they are looking for a car which was seen leaving the scene. Mayor Jan van Zanen said investigators are looking into “all possibilities”.
The mayor added there had been a small explosion, followed by a larger explosion.
Emergency authorities said four people were rescued from the rubble and taken to hospital. The mayor said rescuers were no longer looking for survivors but for bodies, but could not specify how many people might still be unaccounted for.
“The chance that living people will be found is very small,” he said.
Dutch media reported one of those hospitalised was a child.
A line of ambulances could be seen waiting nearby in anticipation of more victims. A spokesperson for the local hospital said they were on standby to deal with injuries.
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Emergency authorities say four people have been rescued from the rubble and taken to hospital (ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
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The cause of the disaster is unclear, but police said they are looking for a car which was seen leaving the scene (EPA)
Residents of the northeastern neighbourhood 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 specialised urban search and rescue team to the scene, with four dogs trained to find victims.
Prime minister Dick Schoof said 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 in a statement.
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Residents say the heard a huge bang and screams before dawn (AP)
The mayor called it “an extremely heavy day”.
“I had expected a different Saturday,” Mr van Zanen told a news conference.
The Dutch royal family said: “Our thoughts are with those affected in The Hague after the explosion and fire this morning”.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima added they send their wishes to those “who are afraid of the fate of their loved ones”.
In a statement, The Hague Fire Department said: “At around 6.15am a three-story apartment building partially collapsed and a fire broke out.
“Up to now, four victims have been taken to the hospital.”