Multiple shots were fired in a tram in a Dutch city of Utrecht, leaving several people injured, police said. Emergency services and anti-terror teams have arrived at the scene.
A square around a tram station outside downtown Utrecht is on lockdown following the shooting, local media reported. Police have cordoned off the area and adjacent streets, but the perpetrator managed to escape.
Ambulances and emergency services are also present although the number of injured is yet to be clarified.
Police said it’s looking at all pausible motifs of the shooting, including terrorism.
The police is investigating the shooting at the #24oktoberplein in Utrecht this morning. An possible terrorist motif is part of the investigation.
— Politie Utrecht (@PolitieUtrecht) March 18, 2019
Medevac helicopters have been send in to airlift the wounded, Utrecht police have said. they also urged drivers to make way for medical vehicles.
BREEK – Volgens getuigen heeft een man in een tram op weg naar Utrecht CS een wapen getrokken en meerdere personen neergeschoten. Hulpdiensten massaal aanwezig en bezig met eerste hulp in de tram. pic.twitter.com/eQOWF2e5Ze
— Yelle Tieleman (@YelleTieleman) March 18, 2019
U-OV, a local transport company, said tram services were suspended all around the city. As the situation developed, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte canceled the weekly coalition meeting and will consult with a crisis response team.
Slachtoffer wordt terwijl medewerkers hem/haar in ambulance leggen nog steeds gereanimeerd. pic.twitter.com/73aOZx2Qrz
— Yelle Tieleman (@YelleTieleman) March 18, 2019
A shooting occurred on the #24oktoberplein in #Utrecht. The incident has been reported at 10.45 hour. Multiple people have been injured. The surrounding area has been cordoned off and we are investigating the matter.
— Politie Utrecht (@PolitieUtrecht) March 18, 2019
It is still unclear if the shooter acted alone or had accomplices. “A man started shooting wildly,” an eyewitness told Dutch news outlet NU.nl. But the AD.nl website cited a witness who said there were four gunmen who opened fire at a woman near the tram station.
24 Oktoberplein street, where the shooting took place, is an important traffic junction in Utrecht, the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.
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