Three hostages held in Dutch nightclub released

Dutch police said three people who were being held hostage in a nightclub in the central town of Ede have been released but the “situation is not over”.

Gelderland Police announced the hostage release in a message on X, formerly Twitter.

They gave no further details about whether more hostages remained in the club.

Heavily armed police earlier cordoned off part of the Dutch town but said “there is no indication of a terrorist motive”.

The hostages were held in Cafe Petticoat, a popular bar and nightclub in Ede, according to an AP videographer at the scene.

Police evacuated 150 homes near a central square in the town, saying there was a person in the area “who could be a danger to themself or others”.

Images from the scene in Ede, a rural market town 53 miles south east of Amsterdam, showed police and firefighters on the streets in a cordoned-off area.

The municipality said that all shops in the centre of Ede would remain closed.