Five people – including an elderly woman and several foreign nationals – have been seriously wounded in a knife attack near Amsterdam’s Dam Square.
Witnesses described the fear and chaos in the heart of the city’s tourist district during the stabbing spree, which also left the suspected attacker injured.
A man was arrested and taken to hospital after sustaining a leg injury while bystanders helped detain him.
Here’s everything we know about the stabbing attack in Amsterdam:
According to local media and witnesses, the stabbings happened in multiple locations near Amsterdam’s Dam Square at around 3:30pm on Thursday.
Dam Square is an area popular with tourists visiting the Dutch capital. It is in the historic centre of the city and includes landmarks such as the Royal Palace.
Dutch newspaper Het Parool reported that two people were first stabbed on Sint Nicolaasstraat, a side street off the city’s busy shopping street, Nieuwendijk.
The suspect is said to have then walked towards the road of Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, where he is said to have stabbed another on the corner of the two streets.
Another victim was also reportedly stabbed closer to the square on Gravenstraat, before the suspect was arrested on Nieuwendijk.
Dam Square and the surrounding streets were cordoned off following the attack to allow the police to investigate and a helicopter to land.
Five people were stabbed and taken to hospital.
The suspect was also injured and taken to hospital after he was overpowered by bystanders.
The victims were identified as a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year old man from the US, a 73-year-old woman from Belgium, a 26-year-old man from Poland, and a 19-year old Dutch woman from Amsterdam.
A shop worker told The Independent he saw people injured on the ground during scenes of “panic” and confusion as people fled the scene of the stabbing.
