Hague stabbing: 'Children among those injured' in knife attack on shopping street with police hunting suspect
Incident happened in a busy shopping area
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Your support makes all the difference.Several people have been wounded in a stabbing on a busy shopping street in The Hague, Dutch police say.
Children were among those injured in the incident, according to authorities. The seriousness of their injuries is not yet known, and it is unclear whether they were wounded in the knife attack or in the resulting crowds.
Police are continuing to look for the suspect hours after the incident took place at approximately 7.45pm local time.
Distressing videos show crowds of shoppers fleeing down the street on a busy Black Friday evening in Grote Marktstraat, one of The Hague's most popular shopping areas.
On Friday NOS, the Dutch national broadcaster, said there did not appear to be a terrorist motive behind the knife attack, however a police spokesperson said it remained unclear whether the stabbing was a terrorist incident.
“We are keeping every scenario open,” police spokeswoman Marije Kuiper said.
Police initially said they were looking for a 45-year-old suspect wearing a grey tracksuit, but Ms Kuiper later said this was incorrect.
It comes after two people were killed and more injured in a knife attack in London Bridge, England.
Authorities are asking anyone who saw the incident, or have photos or footage of it, to come forward.
Catch-up on events as they happened
Additional reporting from agencies
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the incident in the Dutch city of The Hague.
Several people had been wounded in a stabbing, Dutch police say. The incident took place in Grote Marktstraat, which is a busy shopping area in The Hague.
Hague police say they are seeking a man aged between 45 and 50 wearing a shawl and grey tracksuit.
The incident comes as two people have been killed in a knife attack at London Bridge, England.
You can follow live updates on that ongoing story here:
Police spokeswoman Marije Kuiper told The Associated Press that it was not clear if The Hague stabbing was terror related.
Pictures and videos shared to social media show heavy police and ambulance presence at the scene. One particular video shows shoppers running down the busy street:
Local reports say the incident happened in the Hudson's Bay store in the city's Grote Markt, with lots of shoppers out for Black Friday.
Three people had been wounded in the stabbing, according to Dutch police, and a manhunt is underway for the suspect.
The area around the shopping street remains cordoned off, with dozens of police and ambulances on the scene.
A picture from the scene in The Hague:
Credit: EPA/SEM VAN DER WAL
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