The cause of the explosions which killed at least five people in The Hague and injured a further four early on Saturday morning is still unclear, but there are indications the blasts had a criminal origin, chief public prosecutor Margreet Froberg told reporters on Sunday evening.

“There are indications that there was a crime, but I cannot say what they are in the interests of the investigation,” Froberg said.

Officials have not yet confirmed if anyone is still missing. Nor have they given any information about the identities of those killed. Two major crimes teams have been set up, one to look into the cause of the explosions and one to identify the victims, local police chief Karin Krukkert said.

Krukkert also appealed for anyone with information about people who were agitated or smelling of smoke, or with visible burns to come forward.

The officials also repeated an earlier police appeal about a car that was spotted driving away from the explosion site on the Tarwekamp just after the blasts.  The type of car and the number of people inside is also still open to question, Froberg said.

In addition, any link between the blast and the burnt-out car found next to the explosion site is still being investigated, Froberg said.  

“If this turns out to have been a deliberate explosion, then that will be truly shocking,” justice minister David van Weel, who visited the scene on Sunday afternoon said. It would also further illustrate “the enormous problem” the Netherlands currently faces with firework bombs. “And if it is a crime, we will get them,” he said.

Police said last month over 1,000 firework bombs will have been set off outside Dutch homes and business premises by the end of this year.

The police had always worked on the assumption that most of the attacks could be linked to criminal gangs. However, research has since found that over half are the result of “domestic conflicts between non-criminal citizens, often over relationships”.

19 homes

In total, 19 homes were damaged by the Saturday morning explosions and up to five were destroyed.

The police have not ruled out finding further bodies. “We cannot be 100% sure that everyone has been taken out of the rubble,” a spokesman for the regional security board said. “So we are still looking”.

A fundraising campaign for those affected by the blast had raised €250,000 by Sunday evening.