ATM bombing forces evacuation after more explosives discovered
About a dozen homes were evacuated in Doetinchem, Gelderland on Monday morning after burglars used heavy explosives to steal from a Rabobank cash machine. Plumes of smoke hung over the city after the blast, with witnesses first calling emergency services around 4:10 a.m., police said in a statement.
More explosives were found at the scene by a bomb disposal unit, prompting emergency teams to evacuate the area as a precaution. The explosive material was later detonated at another location.
Police did not state the value of any items stolen from the scene.
“Police are investigating, and searching for the perpetrator(s),” authorities said. One person was seen fleeing the scene on a scooter, a witness told police. Another witness told broadcaster Omroep Gelderland they saw two boys on a scooter leaving the scene of the crime.
People at the scene said they were scared out of their minds from the explosion. Authorities closed off the Haareweg in the Gelderland city because of the incident. Some residents took shelter with nearby family members due to the evacuation in the morning of the second Easter day. Others were housed at an area hotel after police and firefighters roped off the scene.
No homes were damaged in the explosion. Investigators are asking the public to come forward with any information that can help determine who caused the frightening blast.
