Both the BBC and the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad report that a car has ploughed into a crowd of people in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn today during an official visit there by the Dutch royal family. The newspaper reports that four people were killed and 13 wounded and that it apparently was a deliberate action.
According to the Handelsblad:
An unidentified man in a black Suzuki Swift plowed into a crowd of onlookers in Apeldoorn, 90 kilometres southeast of Amsterdam, during a visit to the city by the Dutch royal family on the occasion of Queen’s Day. Eyewitnesses, which included NRC Handelsblad photographer Merlin Daleman, said the driver “clearly intended” to ram the bus carrying the royal family on its way to the royal palace ‘t Loo.
At a press conference at 3.45 p.m., authorities said four people have been killed. Thirteen people were wounded, five of whom are in serious condition.
The driver, a 38-year-old native Dutchman, has been arrested but he could not be interrogated by police as he was being operated on. Authorities did confirm that it was a deliberate action.
Queen’s Day is the commemoration of the birthday of queen Juliana (1909-2004). Over the years it has grown into a nationwide celebration of Dutchness and togetherness, attracting crowds of up to 800,000 people in Amsterdam alone.
For more information, photos and a video of the actual attack—if it was deliberate—please go here.
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.