Massive explosion causes building collapse in Utrecht as fears victims trapped

Massive explosion causes building collapse in Utrecht as fears victims trapped Massive explosions in the Dutch city of Utrecht have led to buildings collapsing and a fire is currently raging with four people injured and fears of others buried in the rubble At least four people have been injured and there are fears others may be trapped in the rubble after a massive explosion ripped through several buildings which have collapsed. Emergency services rushed to the incident in the centre of the Dutch city of Utrecht following reports of a series of blasts which led to a fire taking hold around 3pm this afternoon. People ran for safety into nearby shopping streets while fire crews attempted to tackle the flames in Visscherssteeg. Footage showed huge flames erupt from buildings in the street amid explosions while a large plume of smoke covered city centre and rubble scattered across the streets. Iran intensifies security clampdown as US air strikes put on hold READ MORE: Donald Trump makes chilling threat to use military against US citizens protesting against ICE Structural damage to buildings meant they were unstable with cracks emerging following the explosions and it has meant the fire fighters have not been able to enter, and the blaze was being extinguished from the outside with drones used to assist. It is expected that the fire crews will be tackling the blaze throughout the night. A specialized emergency response team from Alphen aan den Rijn has been deployed to help check for any more victims in the partially collapsed buildings. Emergency services spokesman Sjaak Haasnoot said that four people who were injured were taken to waiting ambulances and there may be more people buried under the rubble. It is also not known how serious are the conditions of the four people known to be injured. "It is very difficult at the moment to say how many victims are under the rubble," Haasnoot said. "The fire department cannot enter the building because it is still unstable." Authorities have asked people to avoid the area. "The fire department is currently investigating how the collapsed and damaged buildings can be safely searched to determine if anyone is still inside," read a statement from emergency services. "Extensive damage is reported in the surrounding area." "I knew right away that this was bad," Margot Schroevers, a witness who felt the explosions told NOS. "The ground was shaking." There is heavy smoke in the area causing "limited visibility" which is hampering the emergency services, said the Utrecht Safety Region. It stated: "The fire department is responding where safe and focused on searching and checking for people in the affected buildings." Each part of a building is being assessed separately to determine whether emergency responders can safely enter with gas turned off in the affected area. Police were investigating the incident, Utrecht Mayor Sharon Dijksma told reporters, with the cause of the blast not yet known.

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