Several hurt as man opens fire in Utrecht

UTRECHT: A man opened fire in a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht, injuring several people, police said.

A square near a tram station in the west of the city has been cordoned off by authorities, and emergency services are at the scene.

A police spokesman reportedly said the gunman fled the scene by car.

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

Police say they are investigating a “possible terrorist motive”. They have asked people to stay away to enable emergency workers to get through.

The shooting took place around the 24 Oktoberplein junction at about 10:45 local time (09:45 GMT). Three helicopters have been dispatched.

“A man started shooting wildly,” one eyewitness told Dutch news site NU.nl.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the government has been holding crisis talks after the shooting.

Utrecht’s transport authority said tram services in the city have all been cancelled.