The day at Utrecht Central Station started quietly, here and there a track was closed and black fences were placed to hide part of the exercise from view. But soon there was a lot of panic in the area of the Smakkelaarsveld, just outside the station. A group of people (actors) ran away screaming and talking about ‘men with guns coming in’. It also turned out that a number of people were being held hostage and that ‘bombs had been placed’ at the station. Then everything was pulled out of the closet: a heavily armed unit of the police, soldiers, agents, fire brigade, ambulance. They were all on the spot. Eventually the hostages were freed, the hostage-takers were apprehended and the bombs dismantled.
Crisis exercise Utrecht Central completed: hostages rescued, bombs dismantled
