Police in Amsterdam shot and wounded a suspect following a stabbing at the city’s busy central railway station.
“Two people were stabbed and one person with a knife in his hand walked away and he was shot by police,” said police spokesman Rob van der Veen.
He added that the circumstances leading up to the attack were not clear, but several hours after the attack, which happened shortly after noon local time, police were still investigating.
The two stabbing victims and the wounded attacker were taken to a hospital. Police did not release details about their condition.
Van der Veen said forensics experts were still combing the scene hours after the attack and detectives were investigating the man’s motive.
Two platforms were temporarily closed to traffic following the incident, as was a tunnel under the station’s tracks.
Witnesses reported people fleeing the scene in all directions as the incident unfolded.
“Was at Central Station in Amsterdam and heard two gunshots, everybody started running like crazy and taking shelter in stores and shops… crazy stuff man,” wrote Michiel de Graaf on Twitter.
Amsterdam police said on Twitter “all possible scenarios” would be considered.
“I saw a bag lying down, so maybe I was thinking about a bag left behind or a suspicious package. but then I saw that an ambulance employee with first-aid equipment was running to the station.
“Someone told me that there was a man who had stabbed people. What exactly happened is still very unclear.”
Trams to and from the square in front of the station were stopped as police and emergency services converged on the area.
Red and white police tape kept members of the public away from the scene.
Amsterdam’s Central Station is a busy entry and exit point for visitors to the Dutch capital and is often filled with tourists traveling to and from the city’s Schiphol airport.
An estimated 250,000 travelers pass through the train station on an average day, with Friday being particularly busy owing to thousands coming to Amsterdam for the weekend.
