Area around PM Mark Rutte's residence cordoned off due to 'suspicious situation'
This article was updated at 4 p.m. on Oct. 15 when police announced the situation was a false alarm.
The area around Prime Minister Mark Rutte's official residence in The Hague was cordoned off on Saturday afternoon for unknown reasons. There were also large numbers of police officers near the Catshuis, according to Omroep West. Around 4 p.m., the police told the ANP that the situation was a false alarm.
A police spokesperson told Omroep West the officers were present because of a "suspicious situation," but could not give an exact reason. The authorities have blocked pedestrians and traffic from the area around Johan de Wittlaan and Adriaan Goekooplaan.
Besides the prime minister's official residence, the surrounding area includes buildings such as embassies, the International Criminal Court and the International Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), according to Omroep Brabant.