THE HAGUE, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were injured after a gas explosion destructed a building in The Hague on Sunday.
At around 4 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) a gas explosion caused the collapse of a three-story building in the Jan van der Heijdenstraat in the Laakkwartier district. The front of the entire building was blown away.
Emergency services immediately rushed to the site and rescued three people from under the rubble. A fourth person is still buried but approachable.
Due to instability of the construction, the rescue operation must be carried out very carefully, according to a statement of the The Hague fire brigade.
For the time being there are no signs of more people trapped in the rubble. Of the nine injured, seven were taken to hospital. Residents of 20 homes in the area have been evacuated and are staying in a hotel for the night.
