The incident occurred in the afternoon of January 15 in central Utrecht, a city in the central Netherlands. Emergency services described it as a "massive explosion," and firefighters took about six hours to extinguish the blaze.

"The ground shook. I knew immediately this was very bad," witness Margot Schroevers told local media.

Firefighters extinguish the blaze after an explosion in Utrecht, Netherlands, on January 15. *Photo: AFP*

Utrecht Mayor Sharon Dijksma reported that four people sustained injuries; two received first aid at the scene, and one victim was transported to a hospital. No fatalities occurred in the incident.

The explosion caused several houses to collapse. Rescue teams searched for potential victims trapped in the rubble. However, city officials received no reports of missing persons and believe the collapsed homes were empty.

Local officials suspect a gas leak caused the blast. According to Mayor Dijksma, there were no signs of foul play in the incident.

Utrecht serves as the capital of its namesake province and is the Netherlands' fourth largest city. It spans over 99 square kilometers and has a population of about 370,000 people. The city's central area is home to many ancient structures and architecture, some of which were built during the Middle Ages.

Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, Reuters)