Amsterdam stabbing: Five injured in knife assault close to Dam Square
An Amsterdam shop worker has described seeing people injured on the ground in the terrifying moments after a stabbing spree in the heart of the city’s tourist district.
Five people were injured in the stabbing near Amsterdam’s central Dam Square at around 3:30pm local time on Thursday.
Police said a suspect has been arrested and was also taken to hospital with a leg injury. He was tackled to the ground outside a fast food restaurant by members of the public after fleeing from the scene, an employee told The Independent.
An elderly woman was among the four victims, eyewitnesses told the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. Detectives said it was not yet clear what had motivated the attacks.
An employee at De 3 Fleschjes cafe on Gravenstraat was reported as saying: “It was very frightening. Customers saw an elderly woman being stabbed in the back. She was with her husband. I only saw it when the woman was lying on the ground. It was very grim.”
A staff member at nearby Flagship Bike Tours, who gave his name as Louis H, told The Independent that there were initially scenes of “panic” and confusion as people fled the scene of the stabbing.
“It’s lucky we’re all safe,” he said. “One lady on the street saw the attack happening and she actually ran into our store, all panicked of course. So we closed the door quickly, locked it and went upstairs to calm her down, calm ourselves down, have a drink and see what was happening.
“Then we saw some people were laying on the ground and luckily police were there almost right that second.”
“[For] these people here that got stabbed, luckily it didn’t seem lethal. Then apparently the guy went on to the Dam Square just past our store and stabbed more people.”
He added: “People definitely started to panic and some people ran away in different directions, because no one really knew what was happening. It was a panicky situation.”
The stabbings took place in various locations. Dutch newspaper Het Parool reported that an elderly man and student-aged boy were stabbed on Sint Nicolaasstraat, a side street off the high street, Nieuwendijk. The suspect is said to have then walked towards the road of Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, where he is said to have stabbed a young woman on the corner of the two streets. Another woman was also reportedly stabbed closer to the square on Gravenstraat, before the suspect was arrested on Nieuwendijk.
He is said to have been arrested outside a Febo fast food restaurant. An employee told The Independent: “I was trying to get to work and everything was closed down and locked off. The guy was laying there right in front of my work.
“Apparently some guy kicked him and broke his ankle. He got kicked down [by some bystanders] because he tried to run away … I think somebody kicked him in the face as well. It sounds like it was well deserved.”
Footage shared on social media showed a helicopter landing in Dam square, with injured people being taken to hospital. De Telegraaf newspaper reported that at least fourteen police cars and an officer on a motorcycle had swarmed the scene within 15 minutes.
Dam Square is an area popular with tourists visiting the Dutch capital. It is in the historic centre of the city and includes landmarks such as the Royal Palace.
Amsterdam’s mayor Femke Halsema is reported to have been in a council meeting during the stabbing and to have withdrawn from a debate due to the incident. Ms Halsema was instead meeting with chief prosecutor René de Beukelaer and police chief Peter Holla, her spokesperson told local outlets.
Speaking nearly two hours after the stabbings took place, Louis, who works at Flagship Bike Tours, said: “Now it’s calmed down. Everything has settled down a bit. I hope the people who got attacked are okay.
“It’s important we keep an eye out for one another. We have a beautiful city – we have to keep it beautiful and safe.”
Source: independent.co.uk
