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Several wounded in shooting in Dutch city of Utrecht

Several people were wounded in a shooting on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht on Monday, police said, adding that the shooter is still on the run.
Emergency services flooded the area around a busy traffic intersection in the west of the city where the shooting took place.

"A shooting occurred on the 24 Oktoberplein in Utrecht... Multiple people have been injured. The surrounding area has been cordoned off and we are investigating the matter," Utrecht police said on Twitter.

"It is a shooting incident in a tram. Several trauma helicopters have been deployed to provide help," the police added.

The National Anti-Terrorism Coordinator said it had raised the alert level in the Utrecht area to the maximum of five as the suspected shooter was still at large.

Security was increased at schools, mosques and transportation hubs, with Prime Minister Mark Rutte describing the situation as "very worrying".

Local media showed photographs of masked, armed police and emergency vehicles surrounding a tram that had stopped near a road bridge.

Police erected a white tent over an area where a body appeared to be lying on the ground, but there was no official confirmation of fatalities.

Anti-terror coordinator Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg said in a statement that the "threat level has gone to 5, exclusively for the Utrecht province," referring to the highest level.

"The culprit is still on the run. A terror motive cannot be excluded," he said in a Twitter message. He called on citizens to closely follow the indications of the local police.

Dutch police say they are looking for a least one person who might have fled by car.

Local media said security was also stepped up around government buildings.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

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