Four dead in Hague explosion

At least four people died Saturday when an apartment complex in The Hague collapsed after a huge explosion and fire, authorities said, but firefighters managed to pull someone still alive from 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.

Authorities confirmed that four 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 from huge cherry-pickers, as ambulances carried the injured to hospital and police helicopters circled overheard.