Four dead in Hague building collapse

THE HAGUE: At least four people died Saturday when an apartment complex in The Hague collapsed after a huge explosion and fire, authorities said, with little hope of finding survivors under the rubble.

The blast and resulting inferno destroyed at least five homes but it was not clear how many people were buried in the debris, Mayor Jan van Zanen told reporters.

Police confirmed that three bodies had been pulled from the wreckage, as fears mounted that the toll could rise much higher.

An AFP reporter on-site saw scenes of devastation with debris strewn across the street, burned-out cars, blown-out windows and huge plumes of smoke.

Firefighters tackled the blaze from the ground and huge cherry-pickers, as ambulances carried the injured to the hospital and police helicopters circled overhead.

The cause of the blast was not immediately clear but police appealed for information about a car seen speeding away from the scene shortly after the explosion.

Van Zanen said there was a small explosion followed by a larger one and a huge fire.

After firefighters had extinguished the blaze, heavy construction equipment moved in to try to clear the rubble. Elite rescue workers trained to recover survivors from natural disasters scoured the debris, with the help of sniffer dogs.