By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
THE HAGUE (Worthy News) – King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands is “in shock” after explosions destroyed apartments, killing six people in The Hague, the world’s judicial capital and seat of the Dutch government and parliament.
“My legs are shaking,” the King said after a visit to the partly destroyed three-story apartment building in the Tarwekamp area of The Hague’s Mariahoeve district.
He and his wife, Queen Máxima, visited the site where two blasts killed six people, including several family members.
The royal couple later stopped at the Lichtpuntjes family center nearby. “The humanity after such a disaster gives an incredible amount of strength,” the king said after meeting emergency responders and affected residents.
He praised the efforts of the rescue workers, firefighters, and residents, adding that the consequences of the explosion “defied all imagination.”
The explosions occurred in quick succession early on Saturday morning, destroying five apartments.
The cause of the explosions remained unknown Monday, but prosecutors suggested it was a deliberate attack, and police were appealing for witnesses.
ENDING SEARCH
Emergency authorities officially concluded their search for victims on Monday at the site as the final death toll rose to six, with the last victim found in the building’s basement on Sunday.
City Mayor Jan Van Zanen said it was the worst tragedy in recent years and that he was shocked by what he saw.
Three of the six victims of the devastating explosion on the Tarwekamp come from one family, including a 45-year-old father, a 41-year-old mother, and a 17-year-old daughter, relatives said.
The 8-year-old son from the family “was the only one to survive the explosion and is being cared for by family,” the family statement said.
“The grief over the loss of the family members is great. At the same time, caring for the young son from the family requires their love and attention”, said spokesperson Bart Visser.
He said the family “would like to thank all emergency services for their great efforts during this disaster. The sympathy at the children’s schools also does them good in these dark days.”
The family requested that “unnecessary details, names and/or photos of their deceased family members not be shared or published for privacy reasons.”
MORE DEATHS
In addition to the three victims, three other deceased people were pulled from the rubble. They are a 31-year-old man from Voorburg and two men aged 44 and 63 from The Hague.
“Family investigators have informed their loved ones. We wish them much strength,” police said on Monday evening without providing more details.
Four people were also injured. “Two are in serious condition,” Mayor Van Zanen announced, adding that they are being treated in various hospitals in the country.
Mayor Van Zanen issued an emergency order until Friday, giving police and authorities more capabilities to maintain order in the area. Flags at The Hague’s municipality buildings have been lowered to half-mast in commemoration of the victims.
One of the survivors, the owner of a pub in the destroyed building, wrote from the hospital via his Facebook website page: “Dear family and friends, thanks for your visit; I am still alive.”
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
The Israel Defense Forces announced Thursday that it uncovered one of the most extensive and sophisticated Hamas tunnel systems discovered to date, a sprawling underground route running more than seven kilometers (4.3 miles) and plunging approximately 25 meters (82 feet) underground beneath Rafah.
Six Democratic lawmakers with military or intelligence backgrounds have ignited a political firestorm after releasing a video urging U.S. service members and intelligence personnel to “refuse illegal orders,” drawing sharp reactions from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The White House was preparing Friday for a highly visible meeting between Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, and U.S. President Donald J. Trump amid growing concerns over possible federal troop or National Guard deployments to the city. The made-for-television get-together comes as the president links the influx of migrants — many of them arriving undocumented, or in his words “illegally” — and rising crime in America’s largest city to what he describes as weakened local governance.
A Russian oil tanker under U.S. sanctions made a dramatic U-turn on its way to Venezuela after a U.S. warship appeared in its path near the country’s coast, Worthy News learned early Friday.
A man has been charged with federal terrorism offenses after allegedly dousing a woman with liquid and setting her on fire aboard a Chicago subway train, authorities confirmed Friday, in a case that revived concerns about transit safety amid rising violence in U.S. public-transport systems.
Capitol Hill — the U.S. seat of Congress and legislative center of American government — faced fresh drama Thursday when a small electrical fire broke out in the underground subway system connecting the Rayburn House Office Building to the U.S. Capitol, forcing evacuations.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump met Thursday with a group of freed Israeli hostages and their loved ones at the White House, praising the survivors as “heroes” and vowing continued support for efforts to return remaining captives held in Gaza.