Fourth suspect held in deadly Dutch building collapse

Dutch police said Thursday that they had arrested a fourth suspect in connection with the deadly explosion that flattened an apartment block in The Hague, killing at least six people.

A wedding boutique is believed to have been the target of Saturday's massive blast at the flat complex in a residential neighbourhood in which four others were injured, two of whom were in a serious condition.

"Police have detained a fourth suspect for possible involvement in the devastating explosion," a police statement said. Three other suspects were arrested on Tuesday.

"All four men are in full custody, which means they are only allowed to have contact with their lawyers," the statement added.

The first three suspects are expected to make a brief appearance behind closed doors before a judge on Friday at The Hague District Court, where a decision will be made whether they should remain in custody.

"The exact role of the (fourth) suspect in relation to the explosion and the other suspects is still being investigated," police said.

Police have appealed for information on a car that was seen speeding away from the scene after the explosion, which took place around 6:15 am on Saturday.

The building had shops on the ground floor and five apartments on the next two floors.

So far, police have received more than 200 tips about the explosion.

Three of the dead came from the same family. A man and woman aged 45 and 41 respectively, and their 17-year-old daughter.

An eight-year-old boy was the sole survivor from that family.

The other three victims were men aged 31, 44 and 63.

More than 600,000 euros ($631,000) has been raised to support the victims of the explosion.

Dutch police said in October that there has been a sharp increase in explosions targeting businesses and homes, with 768 incidents to the end of October, up from 497 in the same period last year.