The blast, which occurred at 06:15 local time (05:15 GMT) on Saturday, demolished five homes in the Tarwekamp area of the city.Police are exploring “all avenues” that could have led to the incident, with the arrests suggesting a potential criminal motive.

The suspects are being held in restrictive custody, only allowed contact with their lawyers, and are expected to appear in court later this week.

“Further arrests cannot be ruled out,” officials announced.

On Saturday night, we met local people trudging around in the rain between fire trucks and police vans.

The quiet neighbourhood has been shaken by the loss of six people and the uncertainty surrounding the nature of, and possible reason behind, the blast.

Among the victims were three members of the same family – a 45-year-old father, his partner, 41, and their 17-year-old daughter. Their 8-year-old son miraculously survived.

Three other men – aged 31, 44, and 63 – were also killed. Among them was a civil engineer from Greece, who was reportedly “in love with the Netherlands”.

Four others were rescued from the rubble of their former homes.Several vehicles have been seized – though it’s unclear if any are the car seen speeding away from the scene shortly after the explosion.

Police have received dozens of tip-offs and are appealing for more witnesses and images from pet cameras or dashcams.

Forensic teams are poised to resume their investigation once the crime scene is deemed safe.The explosion’s impact has extended beyond the immediate casualties.

Four people were hospitalised, including two who had been sleeping in the basement of a bar at the time and were treated for smoke inhalation.

A bridal store next door to the bar was completely destroyed, while another ground-floor bar’s wine stock remarkably remained intact. An artist’s studio was also totally decimated.

Many residents were evacuated and remain in shelters while structural damage is assessed.

Firefighters rushed to the scene to put out a fire that caused the collapse of several homes in the city’s Tarwekamp area at around 06:15 (05:15 GMT).

Rescuers are looking for up to 20 people thought to have been there at the time of the blast. Four have been pulled out of the rubble so far.

The cause of the explosion is not yet clear, but Dutch police said a car drove away “at very high speed” shortly after, and have appealed for witnesses.

Dutch media reported five flats were destroyed in the explosion.

Rescue teams with sniffer dogs have been deployed to sift through the debris, but parts of the site remain too dangerous to access.

Fourteen-year-old Adam Muller told the AFP news agency the explosion “felt like an earthquake”.

“I was asleep and suddenly there was this huge bang,” he said.”I looked out of the window and just saw flames. It’s a massive shock,” he added.

National police commissioner in the Netherlands Janny Knol said there was “disbelief and uncertainty” in the community.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima said in a statement: “We sympathise with all those who have been personally affected or who fear for the fate of their loved ones.”

Police are expected to provide an update at 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT).