A three-storey apartment block in The Hague partially collapsed on Saturday after a fire and explosion, firefighters said, with first responders searching for people under the rubble.

Auhtorities said at least three people have died.

Several people have already been pulled out of the debris and taken to hospital, as elite teams with sniffer dogs deployed to rescue others trapped by the disaster.

It was not known how many people were still missing nor what caused the explosion in the block of flats not far from the centre of the city.

"We still don't know how many people might be under the rubble," said a police officer on-site.

A witness at the scene saw dozens of fire trucks as firefighters battled the blaze from the ground and from higher positions. Police helicopters circled overhead.

Debris was strewn across the street and several windows had been blown out.

Huge plumes of smoke were billowing from a large hole where the building stood, with an acrid smell in the air.

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

"I looked out of the window and just saw flames. It's a massive shock," he added.

Authorities warned locals to keep their windows shut and shut off ventilation systems due to the smoke.

Forensic investigators arrived on the scene to begin to probe a potential cause for the accident.

Several homes appeared to have been destroyed by the fire, which broke out around 6:15 am (0515 GMT), according to the emergency services.

The three floors of the building consisted of shops on the ground floors and five two-storey apartments, authorities said, with living rooms on the second floor and bedrooms on the top. (AFP)