Apparent car bombing leaves one man critically injured

An exploding car on the Thorbeckeplein in Breda on Wednesday night left a man severely wounded. So far nothing is known about the circumstances of the explosion, though there is speculation of a bomb-attack from within the criminal circuit. Bystanders doubt whether the victim will survive, "if he does, he will be severely handicapped for the rest of his life", one said to Omroep Brabant. The explosion happened around 10:35 p.m. and could be heard kilometers away, according to Omroep Brabant. Emergency services responded en masse. The victim was rushed to a nearby trauma helicopter and then to the hospital. The police closed off the area for "first aid, trace evidence investigation and safety". The Explosive Ordnance Explosive team was called in to investigate. The police have not made any statements about the circumstances of the explosion yet, but given their large presence at the scene, newspaper AD believes they suspect an attack. According to witnesses, the parked car exploded when the man opened the door to get in. The victim lost an arm and leg in the explosion and that he was still conscious when the first bystanders arrived at the scene, local residents told Omroep Brabant. "He was in bad shape. He grabbed with his hands, what were left of them, at his head and shook", one said.