Dutch authorities suspect Hague building explosion a criminal act

Dutch authorities said on Sunday they believed an explosion and inferno that caused an apartment block to collapse killing at least five people was a criminal act.

Rescue workers were combing through the wreckage in a bid to recover bodies from the blast that levelled five homes early Saturday, but the number of people possibly still buried in the debris was unknown.

There are a total of four injured people in hospital but authorities said the intensity of the blaze made identifying victims only possible via DNA records. Residents told local media the apartment block was mainly inhabited by elderly people and families with children.

Around 40 residents of other blocks near the collapsed building have been evacuated. Some have been taken away by bus to an unknown location.