Body found outside Almelo hospital under "suspicious circumstances"

The body of a dead person found outside of a hospital led to a large police response on Zilvermeeuw in Almelo on Wednesday. "A body has been found there under suspicious circumstances and a parking lot has been closed because of this," police said on social media. Soon after, investigators were also present at a home near the scene.

The discovery was made by a security guard working for the ZGT hospital in Almelo who saw the person in the hospital's parking lot. He would not tell reporters if the person was alive when they were found, according to Tubantia.

No details about the dead person's gender, age or identity were revealed in the first hours of the investigation. The investigation in the immediate vicinity of the body was blocked from view by large screens placed by firefighters, Tubantia reported. A white vehicle was also screened off though it was unclear if that car was part of the investigation.

Forensic experts were on site to assist with the investigation. A mobile police lab with forensic investigators also showed up at a home on Zonnebloemstraat, about 2.5 kilometers away from the hospital. Several pets were taken out of the home and given to Animal Ambulance workers.

Police cordoned off a portion of the hospital parking lot, making it impossible for some hospital patients, staff or visitors to reach their cars. The hospital helped to provide affected people with food, beverages and replacement transportation, if needed, a spokesperson told ANP. Police did not say when they expected to make the parking lot accessible to the public again.

First responders were sent out to the scene shortly after 11 a.m, records showed. Police confirmed the presence of a body about an hour later. A police spokesperson was also dispatched to the hospital before 1:30 p.m. to answer questions from reporters. The forensic personnel were seen on Zonnebloemstraat before 2 p.m., Tubantia reported.