An explosion has caused several injuries and damaged apartments in the Dutch capital

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 HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An explosion rocked a neighborhood in Dutch capital early Saturday, destroying several apartments and injuring multiple people, according to authorities.

The cause of the disaster in The Hague is unclear. 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.

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.

The Associated Press

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