Utrecht shooting: All schools, mosques and stations on lockdown after tram attack
DUTCH Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said he is "deeply concerned" after three people were confirmed dead and nine others injured in a shooting in Utrecht as all schools, mosques and transport hubs were put on lockdown.
Utrecht shooting: Emergency services attend scene
Government crisis talks are being held to co-ordinate the response as police hunt the man who opened fire on a packed tram in the city centre. Security has been increased at the seat of the government in The Hague and at mosques and stations around the country which have been warned to keep windows shut as the gunman remains on the run. Police have said security is also being strengthened at airports, including Amsterdam Schipol, and key buildings in The Netherlands.
Police spokesman Joost Lanshage 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 are hunting a red Renault Clio which they believe the gunman used to flee the scene.
A counter-terrorism unit has surrounded a building where they understand the gunman is hiding.
Pieter-Jaan Aalbersberg, head of the Netherlands’s counter-terrorism agency, said the incident “appears to be a terrorist attack”.
Mr Aalbersberg told a news conference: "In Utrecht there was a shooting at several locations.
"A lot is still unclear at this point and local authorities are working hard to establish all the facts.
"What we already know is that a culprit is at large."
The Dutch government has raised the terrorism threat level to the highest possible in the province of Utrecht while the suspected shooter is still at large.
The incident happened at 10.45am local time, 9.45am UK time.
A woman who was sitting in a tram told local broadcaster NRC a man got put of his seat and started shooting at other passengers.
She said: “I was in the back of the tram. He shot around, but seemed to be aiming at people sitting on the benches - everyone ducked.
“The conductor did not open the doors immediately.
"Two boys next to me kicked in a window, so I fled outside. Several people did the same."
The shooting has rocked the normally peaceful, internationally vibrant city.