Masked man who ‘threatened to blow himself up’ arrested after four people taken hostage in Dutch bar
30 March 2024, 10:16 | Updated: 30 March 2024, 14:35
A man has been arrested after four people were taken hostage inside a bar in the Netherlands.
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A man entered Café Petticoat, in Ede, earlier this morning threatening to blow himself up, local media reported.
He was reportedly armed with 'weapons and explosives'.
Local police said on X: “The last hostage has just been released. One person has been arrested. We cannot share more information at this time.”
Shortly before the masked man was taken in by police, three people were seen crying as they left the building, though police warned the situation was "not over".
Earlier this morning, police evacuated 150 homes near a central square in the town, saying there was a person in the area "who could be a danger to themself or others".
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Police urged locals to stay away from the cafe, telling them: "Do not come and watch."
Images from the scene in Ede, a rural market town 53 miles south east of Amsterdam, showed police and firefighters on the streets in a cordoned-off area.
The municipality said that all shops in the centre of Ede would remain closed.
The venue had been hosting a party advertised for teens aged '16+' overnight, finishing at 4am, with first reports of a hostage situation emerged at around 6am.
