Car sought after German ATM blast crashes in Osdorp after police chase; Explosives found
A large police operation is underway in Amsterdam’s Osdorp neighborhood after a car carrying explosive materials crashed. This followed a police pursuit linked to an overnight ATM explosion robbery in Fürth, Germany, police told AT5 on Tuesday.
The occupants of the vehicle fled the scene, and police are searching for them. It remains unclear how many people were in the car.
Homes within a 100-meter radius have been evacuated, and the street has been sealed off. Masked officers from the Special Intervention Service (DSI) and defense personnel were deployed to the Nierkerkestraat in the Nieuw-West district. The AT5 reporter saw a police helicopter circling overhead.
The police pursuit stemmed from an ATM explosion robbery that occurred overnight in Fürth, in the German state of Hessen. A BMW M1 was seen at the scene. The same vehicle was spotted in the Netherlands on Tuesday morning and later crashed in Nieuw-West at around 1 p.m.
Residents forced to leave their homes are being sheltered at the De Wachter community center. Among the evacuated buildings is a nursing home for residents who need assistance, AT5 reports.
German police said no money was taken in the robbery. The building housing the ATM sustained heavy damage, and a fire broke out. But all residents were able to leave their homes unharmed.
