Three people have been killed and one injured in a police car chase in The Hague in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The three who died – two women and one man – were all sitting in the car that was being chased. The car first somersaulted and hit a tree, where it burst into flames. The injured person is also a woman, the public prosecution department said.

Police have, as yet, said nothing about their ages or identities.

The crash happened close to a crossroads in the Mariahoeve district of The Hague. According to local broadcaster Omroep West, the vehicle drove off at high speed after ignoring a police sign to stop.

The public prosecution department said in a statement that police wanted to check the vehicle after it was spotted moving erratically.

The Bezuidenhoutseweg in The Hague remained closed on Thursday afternoon while the investigation continued.