Two men, one of them wearing a balaclava mask, exited a nightclub in the eastern Dutch town of Ede where several people had been taken hostage, news agency ANP reported. One was put in handcuffs by police, the agency said.
A hostage situation in a nightclub in the eastern Dutch town of Ede was continuing on Saturday, and three people have been released, police said in a statement. A gunman took several people hostage earlier on Saturday and threatened to detonate a bomb, media reports said.
It was unclear how many people were still being held after three employees were seen by reporters fleeing the area with their hands above their heads.
#BREAKING UPDATE: Three hostages held in a cafe in the Dutch town of Ede have been released, but the incident is not over, police say.#Netherlands #Ede https://t.co/YuyXIb8DYE pic.twitter.com/UlGfDCvD6G
— Genius Bot X (@GeniusBotX) March 30, 2024
Several special police units had been deployed to the scene, a building in the center of town, police said in a statement posted on social media. They added that 150 homes had been evacuated and the public was asked to stay away from the area.
Information on the threat
People were being held at the local Petticoat nightclub by a man with weapons and explosives, the national newspaper de Telegraaf reported, citing several anonymous sources.
Dutch police say they're dealing with a hostage situation in Dutch town of Ede, where a man is believed to be holding several people inside a pub pic.twitter.com/Nu7uWY4t2b
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) March 30, 2024
A reporter for broadcaster NOS said a remote-controlled robot was at the scene as well as anti-explosives units and police in protective gear.
⚡️ Hostage-taking in the Netherlands In the town of Ede, an unidentified man has taken five hostages in a cafe and has been holding them for five hours. The masked man claims to have a bag full of bombs. Police have deployed bomb squads, and residents of nearby houses have… pic.twitter.com/V1XsZtyrhv
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 30, 2024
Trains to and from Ede were canceled, railway operator NS said on its website.
A peaceful ending
The event at the nightclub ended peacefully after several hours with the arrest of a suspect - a man wearing a balaclava mask who exited the building and surrendered to police, according to a Saturday Reuters report.
"The last hostage has just been released. One person has been arrested," a police statement said. "We cannot share more information at this time."
Officials said at a news briefing that the suspect, who was previously known to police, had threatened the hostages with knives. There was no indication of a terrorist motive, police have said.
The suspect walked out of the club, put his hands behind his head, and got to his knees before being handcuffed by police, a Reuters video journalist at the scene said.