Possible explosive left behind after Purmerend ATM bombing

Dutch police at the scene of a crime
Dutch police at the scene of a crime. (Photo: twixx/DepositPhotos)

An ABN Amro ATM on Gildeplein in Purmerend was blown open early on Thursday morning. A few hours after the ATM bombing, emergency services discovered a suspicious object they think may be an explosive that hasn't detonated. The Ministry of Defense's explosives clearance service is at the scene, the police said in a statement.

The ATM bombing happened in a shopping center on Gildeplein at around 4:20 a.m. The blast damaged the cash machine, the wall and roof of the building, and shattered the windows of a number of shops, according to NH Nieuws. The police and fire brigade cordoned off part of the shopping center and Overlanderstraat while explosives experts investigate. Some 15 homes in the area were evacuated.

Two perpetrators were seen fleeing the scene on a scooter. It is not yet clear whether they managed to steal any money from the ATM. 

"It's havoc", a shop owner who asked to remain anonymous said to RTV Purmerend. He was informed about the bombing by his neighbors. "There were people in the bar around that time and a boy came out to see what was going on. My neighbors told me he had a gun aimed at his head. Fortunately the perpetrators eventually took off on their scooter."

"The emergency services told me that there are still explosives in the machine that did not explode, that is shocking. The disposal service is still working, so when all the shops can open again is unknown to me", the entrepreneur continued. "It looks like a war zone."