One person been killed and multiple others injured in a shooting in the Dutch city of Utrecht, police have said.
“Several shots were fired in a tram and several people were injured. Helicopters are at the scene and no arrests have been made,” police spokesman Joost Lanshage said.
The Dutch National Anti-Terrorism Coordinator said it had raised the alert level as the suspected shooter was still at large.
Police said they are not ruling out a terrorist motive, and security is being increased at mosques and at the seat of the government in The Hague.
Heavily-armed police have been seen gathering outside a building near where the shooting occurred.
They had no further details about the incident and could not say how badly hurt the victims are, but three trauma helicopters were deployed.
Local broadcaster RTV Utrecht quoted an eyewitness as saying he had seen a woman lying on the ground amid some kind of confrontation.
Several men ran away from the scene, the witness said.
Authorities said a square at a tram station outside the city centre had been cordoned off and emergency services were at the scene, Reuters reports.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he was “deeply concerned” and that crisis talks were to be held in response to the incident.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt described the shooting as “hugely concerning news” and said the UK “stands with the people of the Netherlands”.
He tweeted: “Hugely concerning news of a gunman opening fire on a tram in Utrecht, no doubt with innocent people just getting on with their day.
“We are in contact with Dutch authorities, urgently seeking further information.
“The UK stands with the people of the Netherlands.”
Utrecht, the Netherlands’ fourth largest city, is known for its picturesque canals and large student population. Gun killings are rare in Utrecht, as elsewhere in the Netherlands.
The incident comes after a lone gunman killed 50 people in mass shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, last Friday.
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