In the Dutch city of Ede, 150 homes were evacuated overnight after unknown assailants took several people hostage at a popular drinking hole.
Update 1330: At a press conference after the hostage crisis, East Netherlands public prosecutor’s office chief Martin Kunst said the suspect had several knives in his possession and had shown them to the hostages. It was also revealed that the suspect was known to law enforcement, but a motive for the incident was not disclosed.
Update 1200: Local police and city government officials in Ede Confirmed Dutch broadcaster NOS said the hostage situation at the cafe had ended, with a fourth hostage freed and a man wearing a balaclava in police custody. At the time of this report, the motive behind the incident remains unknown.
The original story continues as follows…
Early Saturday morning, scores of police, special forces, including snipers, police robots and other emergency services personnel chased patrons of the late-night bar Petticoat Café, which was scheduled to remain open, into the central Dutch town of Ede. descended to It was open until 04:00 CET (23:00 ET) this morning and was serving drinks when hostages were taken.
dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad report A police spokesperson spoke of a “dangerous person who may pose a danger to himself or others,” but it was not confirmed whether the person was armed or even if he was inside the bar. do not have. Nevertheless, the fact that officers evacuated 150 nearby homes, closed the town’s railway line and fenced and screened buildings raised the possibility that the situation could impact neighborhoods. It suggests that you still have it in mind.
On March 30, 2024, several people are taken hostage in Ede, and police and emergency services gather. “There is an ongoing hostage situation involving several people in a central building” in the town of Ede, police said in an X statement. , formerly Twitter. It is unclear how many people are being held, but local media have reported that around four or five people are involved. (Photo credit: Various sources/AFP) / Netherlands OUT (Photo credit: -/ANP/PERSBUREAU HEITINK/AFP via Getty Images)
Exactly, NOS report Police said they “erred in caution” in deciding to order firefighters to evacuate nearby homes as they “considered a variety of scenarios.” Details of the hostage taker are unknown, but police say there is currently no information suggesting a terrorist motive.
Ede City Hall confirmed that a hostage situation was ongoing. The first major development after police were alerted at around 6:30am on Saturday morning occurred just after 11am when a police robot was seen delivering a brown bag to the cafe. The contents of the bag are unknown, but the three hostages were released shortly afterward.
Despite one of the three men being in a bar uniform and able to present himself to police in an “emotional” state with his hands up, police said the situation was “not over yet”. and further suggested that hostages may still be held.
This story is developing.
