THE HAGUE: At least four people died on Saturday when an apartment complex in The Hague collapsed after a huge explosion and fire, authorities said, but firefighters managed to pull someone still alive from the rubble.

The blast and resulting inferno destroyed at least five homes but it was not clear how many people were buried in the debris, Mayor Jan van Zanen told reporters.

Authorities confirmed that four bodies had been pulled from the wreckage, as fears mounted that the toll could rise much higher.

An eyewitness on-site saw scenes of devastation with debris strewn across the street, burned-out cars, blown-out windows and huge plumes of smoke.

Firefighters tackled the blaze from the ground and from huge cherry-pickers, as ambulances carried the injured to hospital and police helicopters circled overheard.

`It is not known how many people are still under the rubble. But the reality is that there is only a slim chance of survival for them,` said the mayor. `It is unbelievable what happened there.` However, hours later, a survivor was plucked from the debris and taken to hospital, the fire service announced.

The cause of the blast was not immediately clear but police appealed for information about a car seen speeding away from the scene shortly after the explosion.

Van Zanen said there was a small explosion followed by a larger one and a huge fire. After firefighters had extinguished the blaze, heavy construction equipment moved in to try to clear the rubble.

Elite rescue workers trained to recover survivors from natural disasters scoured the debris, with the help of sniffer dogs.

`I was asleep and suddenly there was this huge bang,` Adam Muller, a 14-year-old local resident, said.

`I looked out of the window and just saw flames. It`s a massive shock,` he added.-AFP