The loss of life toll from an explosion and hearth that destroyed an residence block in The Netherlands climbed to 6 on Monday, officers mentioned, revealing {that a} teenage lady was among the many victims.
Rescue staff pulled a sixth physique from the rubble within the early hours of Monday in The Hague, with fears they may uncover extra victims of the blast that occurred at daybreak on Saturday.
“At round 02:30 a.m., a sixth physique was discovered and recovered from the cellar of the collapsed constructing,” the local fire service said.
“The seek for doable victims within the basement of the collapsed constructing continues to be ongoing, with a USAR canine nonetheless being deployed,” the service later mentioned.
Yves Herman / REUTERS
Police recognized 4 of the useless as two males aged 45 and 31, a 41-year-old lady, and a 17-year-old lady. 4 different individuals are in hospital, two in a critical situation.
Authorities have no idea how many individuals have been within the constructing on the time of the blast, so it stays unclear what number of our bodies might nonetheless probably be discovered within the particles.
The hearth was so intense that identification has solely been doable through DNA assessments, additional complicating the method.
Police are nonetheless unsure as to what triggered the explosion however the head of the general public prosecutor’s workplace informed reporters on Sunday there have been unspecified indications it was a felony act.
They’re particularly eager to talk to the driving force of a automobile seen rushing away from the scene at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday.
An in depth hunt for clues as to what triggered the explosion can solely start when the search by the particles for victims is full, authorities have mentioned.
Dutch authorities deployed a specialised city search and rescue workforce to the scene, with 4 canines skilled to search out victims. The workforce was beforehand used in the course of the devastating earthquake in Turkey in 2023.
Quickly after the explosion, a line of ambulances may very well be seen ready close by in anticipation of extra victims. The spokesperson for the native hospital mentioned that they have been on standby to take care of accidents.
The mayor referred to as it “an especially heavy day.”
“I had anticipated a unique Saturday,″ van Zanen informed a information convention.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof mentioned in a press release he was shocked by the photographs of the catastrophe. “My ideas exit to the victims, all different individuals concerned and the emergency providers who are actually engaged on the scene,” he mentioned.
The Dutch royal household expressed comparable sentiments. “Our ideas are with these affected in The Hague after the explosion and hearth this morning,″ together with these “who’re afraid of the destiny of their family members,” King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima mentioned in a press release.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
