The explosion in The Hague which killed at least six people and destroyed an apartment block was reportedly targeting a bridal shop on the ground floor, according to Dutch police.
The incident occurred early on Saturday morning and destroyed five apartments in the two-storey building. The cause of the explosion remains unknown.
"Investigative elements currently indicate that the explosion targeted a bridal fashion shop located on the ground floor," said police spokesperson Tom Verhoeff.
"We are in contact with the operators of this business," Verhoeff added during a televised appeal for witnesses on the Dutch programme Opsporing Verzocht. "We urgently appeal to anyone with more information about what might have happened around this shop or location."
Three arrests so far
At least six people were killed after an explosion and fire caused the collapse of an apartment building in The Hague on Saturday.
Three of the deceased were from the same family: a 45-year-old man, a 41-year-old woman and their 17-year-old daughter. An eight-year-old boy is the family's sole survivor. The other three victims were men aged 31, 44 and 63.
Police announced they had arrested three individuals on Monday night suspected of involvement in the incident. Authorities also seized several cars and did not rule out the possibility of further arrests.
Police received tips following an appeal for information about a car that was seen speeding away from the scene after the explosion.
Rise in explosions
Dutch police observed a sharp increase in incidents involving explosives in October. They were mainly targeting homes and businesses. Such incidents doubled last year compared to the previous year.
The upward trend continued into 2024. There were 768 explosive-related incidents recorded in the Netherlands by the end of October, compared to 497 during the same period last year, according to public broadcaster NOS.
