Shooting spree in Dutch shopping centre

A man in the Netherlands has opened fire in a shopping centre, killing five people and injuring at least eleven, before shooting himself dead.

Four of the injured are in a very serious condition.

It happened around midday on Saturday in a town called Alphen aan den Rijn in the west of the country. The centre was crowded with families at the time.

It is thought the perpetrator, who police say acted alone, used an automatic weapon. Witnesses say he looked to be in his twenties.

Some people told reporters the shooting went on for between ten and twenty minutes, spreading panic throughout the centre.

The Mayor of the town has sent his condolences to the families of the victims, and a special phone line has been set up for people worried about relatives.

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