Boy (8) only survivor after entire family dies in The Hague explosion

All the victims have been found

An 8-year-old boy was the only survivor of his family after his 41-year-old mother, 45-year-old father, and 17-year-old sister were killed by this weekend’s explosions at the Tarwekamp in The Hague. 

In addition to the three family members, three other victims lost their lives, reports NU.nl.

Supporting the victims

The boy is being cared for by family, who express utter devastation following the tragic event. 

The young boy and other victims are currently being offered support by the organisation Namens de Familie, which helps people cope with great loss and trauma. 

School takes immediate action

The school that both the boy and his sister attended “called parents in the immediate vicinity [of the explosion] on Saturday”, school director Ewald van Vliet tells AD. 

The staff have expressed great shock at the news and are doing everything in their power to accommodate everyone affected by the event. 

Two further lucky escapes  

All the victims and survivors of the explosion have been identified. Two of the survivors were found to be sleeping in the basement of a cafe where the explosions took place, according to the NOS. 

The owner of the pub tells the NOS that it was a barman and a regular customer who regularly sleep in the basement after work. 

Both made it out almost completely unharmed. They were taken to the hospital due to inhaled smoke. 

Cause still unknown

The reason for the enormous explosion is still unknown, and the investigation is ongoing. 

According to NU.nl, the police are still searching for the driver of a car seen after the explosion. 

Know anything about the incident? As the investigation continues, the police have asked people to come forward with any valuable information by filling out the Tip Form or calling 0800-6070.

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Ada Dolanay
Ada Dolanay
Ada was born in Turkey, but spent almost all her life growing up in Amsterdam. As a third year Literary and Cultural Analysis student, she’s consistently observing, analysing and writing about people and places. After years of experiencing Dutch culture, she remains frustrated at Dutch cuisine, and continues to discover new benches in narrow streets to sit and read on (when the weather decides to be kind).

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