Almost 200 residents on the street due to fire in The Hague asylum seeker center

A fire broke out in a reception center for asylum seekers on the Regulusweg in The Hague on Sunday night around 3 a.m. The fire started in an electrical box on the third floor and was under control by 4 a.m. There were up to 200 asylum seekers temporarily on the streets due to the incident, AD reported.

Because of the smoke, two floors of the building were evacuated, leaving dozens of people on the street, according to Omroep West. Residents were later housed in the vacated first two floors of the building, which are used as recreation areas.

The fire department reported around 05:30 a.m. that all floors had been ventilated and cleared, and residents were able to return to their homes. "We checked to see if there was carbon monoxide," the fire brigade told Omroep West. However, this seemed not to be the case. Several people were checked for smoke inhalation at the scene, but none required further treatment at the hospital.

The police are investigating the cause of the fire.