Eight hurt in Hague explosion

Eight people were hurt Monday afternoon when a gas line exploded at Hortensiastraat in The Hague. Six were hospitalized.

The explosion occurred around 12.00pm. Apparently gas company workers may have struck the main gas line while replacing an underground gas container. The blast caused resulted into a fire in front of an apartment building, but fire fighters were able to extinguish the flames quickly. The gas leak has meanwhile also been plugged.

The report classified the incident as a “grip 1” emergency that required multiple emergency services on the scene.

Reports say people actually jumped out of their windows to escape. “We had no other option but to jump out the window,” a man whose house caught fire told journalists. He and his wife had landed safely in the backyard, but they could not return to their home and were taken to a shelter with eight other residents of the apartment building.

Two people who were outside when the explosion occurred, were immediately rushed to the hospital; four others were taken there a short while later. Ambulances and a trauma helicopter were on the scene. The two other victims apparently only suffered light injuries.