Three people have been arrested in the investigation into Saturday morning’s explosion in an apartment complex in The Hague that killed six, police said on Tuesday afternoon.

The arrests were made on Monday evening, the spokesman said. Several cars have also been taken away for forensic tests. In particular, the police have been keen to track down a car seen driving away from the scene shortly after the 6.15 am blast.

The police have not said any more about the identity of the three men, who are being held in isolation and may only have contact with their lawyer. All three will appear in court for a remand hearing later this week.

Meanwhile the investigation into the blast is continuing and more arrests have not been ruled out.

The police and safety board have not said any more about the possible cause of the explosion, after saying on Monday evening that a drugs lab was not located in the building. There have been several fatal explosions in drugs labs in the Netherlands this year.

A gas explosion is also considered unlikely because there were two small bangs followed by a much louder and longer one. Gas explosions tend to be a single blast.

Hier de explosies in geluid van onze voordeur camera.
Eerst twee zachtere knallen en daarna de grote.#tarwekamp #explosies #Mariahoeve pic.twitter.com/FmgUXmBmVj

— Sabberdijosia (@SabberDiJosia) December 7, 2024

Justice minister David van Weel said on Sunday afternoon that if the blast turns out to have been a firework bomb, it would also further illustrate “the enormous problem” the Netherlands currently faces.

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.

Six deaths

Six people were killed in the explosion, which damaged 19 apartments, completely destroying three. Three of those who died were members of the same family. Their eight-year-old son and brother survived.

The three other victims were men aged 31, 44 and 62 and two or three other people remain seriously ill in hospital.

A crowdfunding appeal for people affected by the blast has so far raised over €500,000.

Fruit machine

Earlier on Tuesday it emerged two of the survivors were in the cellar under the bar when the blast happened. Yilmaz Bakir, who had worked in Bar Rosa, told broadcaster NOS that he and girlfriend Nadia had gone to the cellar to play the fruit machine after finishing his shift.

“We heard a strange sound, as if two live wires touched each other, but we did not pay much attention,” he said. “A short while later, all hell broke loose.”

Bakir credits their survival to the fruit machine which kept some of the concrete rubble at bay. Nadia remains in hospital, but her condition is improving, he said.