Eight injured as car hits crowd outside Amsterdam station

THE HAGUE: A car driver hit eight people outside Amsterdam Central Station on Saturday, injuring two seriously, after being warned about parking illegally, but police said there was no indication that the driver was carrying out an attack of any kind.

"The suspect has been interviewed, and it appears not to have been intentional. But we are investigating further," Amsterdam police said on their Twitter account.

The Amsterdam incident happened when police approached a black Peugeot which was badly parked, and the driver tried to speed away, according to Dutch media.

Two people were admitted to hospital with serious injuries, and others were treated at the scene after the car hit the crowd and then crashed into a wall. Several ambulances and police were swiftly on the scene on the busy streets outside the station in the heart of the canal-lined Dutch capital.

The driver was arrested and taken for questioning.

The news came a week after three attackers in a van mowed down pedestrians in London before going on a stabbing spree, killing eight people and injuring 48.

The Netherlands has been on high alert following a slew of attacks around Europe in recent months, including last month's Manchester suicide bombing and two recent attacks in London.