Explosion at Coolblue store in Utrecht; two perpetrators at large

An explosive went off at a Coolblue store on Europaplein in Utrecht early on Thursday morning. Two perpetrators were seen fleeing the scene on a scooter, the Utrecht police said on Twitter.

The explosion happened at around 2:00 a.m. It seems the perpetrators were trying to blow their way into the store. Photos on social media show at least three windows shattered, though the safety glass kept them in the frame. Whether the perpetrators managed to get inside, is unclear.  

The blast woke many Utrecht residents. According to RTV Utrecht, reports of the explosion came from as far as Dichterswijk, 2.5 kilometers away from the scene.

The two perpetrators were seen fleeing on a scooter in the direction of Lunetten. They were wearing a black helmet, a jacket with a fur collar, and had bags with them, according to the police. 

According to RTV Utrecht, the Coolblue store on Europaplein was also targeted on July 12th this year, when three perpetrators crashed a car through its window. The police arrested them. 

Update: Plofkraak bij Coolblue in Utrecht. De schade is enorm, of er iets is buitgemaakt is onbekend. De politie zit nog achter de daders aan. Afgelopen zomer was dit Coolblue-filiaal doelwit van een ramkraak. Toen werden drie verdachten gepakt. https://t.co/CKRuDMZRGo pic.twitter.com/kVsuD4Fd4J

— RTV Utrecht (@rtvutrecht) December 12, 2019

Volgens mij zijn ze niet eens binnen gekomen. pic.twitter.com/9ybBV325NR

— Demi (@demidebruijn) December 12, 2019