By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (Worthy News) – At least five people died, and four others were injured in explosions rocking a block of flats in the Dutch city of The Hague, and local authorities did not rule out a deliberate attack.
Firefighters and special rescue teams with dogs rushed to the burning three-story building in the Tarwekamp area following the blasts that caused the collapse of several homes.
Amid a frantic search for survivors, Dutch police said a car drove away “at very high speed” shortly after the explosions and appealed for witnesses.
The Hague’s Mayor, Jan van Zanen, said the number of people still missing is unknown.
Van Zanen, who visited the scene, said the chance of survivors being pulled from the rubble was slim and urged residents to prepare for a “worst-case scenario.”
It was thought up to 20 people may have been in the flats at the time of the blast, but the mayor refused to confirm those figures.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima expressed their sorrow in a statement: “We sympathize with all those who have been personally affected or who fear for the fate of their loved ones.”
PULLING BODIES
The Dutch fire service said five bodies had been pulled from the rubble. Four others were hospitalized – one of whom had since died, it said.
It added that another person was treated by the ambulance service before being taken to a shelter, bringing the total number of victims to 10.
Witnesses said at least five flats were destroyed in the explosion.
Survivors appeared in shock at what they saw. Fourteen-year-old Adam Muller said the explosion “felt like an earthquake.”
“I was asleep, and suddenly, there were these huge bangs. I looked out of the window and just saw flames. It’s a massive shock,” he added.
The national police commissioner in the Netherlands, Janny Knol, shared those sentiments: “There is disbelief and uncertainty in the community.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
A new anti-conversion law in India’s Chhattisgarh state is drawing sharp criticism from Christian leaders and human rights advocates, who warn it could intensify persecution against religious minorities.
Israel will expand its buffer zone in southern Lebanon while continuing military operations against Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday, following a security cabinet meeting that ended without a ceasefire agreement.
The United States Senate has voted down multiple resolutions aimed at halting U.S. weapons sales to Israel, but the votes revealed a notable shift within the Democratic Party, where support for such measures has surged in recent years.
House Democrats are preparing to introduce five articles of impeachment against War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, intensifying political divisions in Washington over the Trump administration’s military campaign against Iran.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a historic battlefield milestone this week, declaring that Ukrainian forces successfully captured a Russian position using only unmanned robotic systems—marking what he described as a first in modern warfare.
Iran secretly deployed a Chinese-built surveillance satellite to monitor U.S. military bases across the Middle East during the recent conflict, significantly enhancing its targeting capabilities, according to a new investigation by the Financial Times.
U.S. President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that the United States will not agree to any peace deal with Iran unless Tehran fully abandons its nuclear ambitions, reinforcing a hardline stance as diplomatic efforts continue amid rising regional tensions.