Several people had to be rescued from a burning building in the Pijp district of Amsterdam in the early hours of Tuesday morning after a fire broke out in a dry cleaner’s on the Ferdinand Bolstraat.

The fire started at around 5.15 am on the ground floor, sending out billows of smoke and leading to the evacuation of surrounding buildings. Several people were taken to hospital for treatment.

The blaze was quickly brought under control but not before causing considerable damage and special equipment was brought in to try to dispel the smoke. The cause of the fire was not immediately apparent.

Several streets were closed while the fire brigade dealt with the incident.

The Parool said that this is the fourth time in a short period that locals have had their nights disturbed. There have recently been three explosions at a bar several doors down, the last of which was on January 4 and which also led to a small fire.