Police hunt man in grey tracksuit and shawl after incident in Grote Marktstraat shopping area

This article is more than 9 months old

This article is more than 9 months old

Three youths were injured in a stabbing incident in The Hague’s main shopping street on Friday night, Dutch police said.

A manhunt was under way.

In a statement, Hague police said they were seeking a man aged 45-50 wearing a shawl, a black jacket and wearing a grey tracksuit.

A Dutch police spokeswoman said it was too early to establish a motive for the attack.

The incident happened in the Grote Marktstraat shopping area, which was busy with people looking for Black Friday deals.

An area near the town’s historic centre was cordoned off, and dozens of police and ambulances were on the scene.

The victims, all youths, were released from the hospital late on Friday. Video from the scene showed people running away and shrieking. Calm returned soon after police arrived.

The stabbing happened about 7.45pm, when a man attacked several people on the street. Investigators were keeping every scenario open, police spokeswoman Marije Kuiper said.

The stabbing happened in an area teeming with shoppers. Supermarket chains and luxury shops were lit up with early Christmas decorations.

Police sealed off a wide perimeter behind which onlookers were kept at bay.