The Brussels bombings, which have left at least 26 people dead, are once again ‘a direct attack on our freedom, our security and our way of life’, Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday. ‘Brussels, Belgium and Europe have been hit in the heart,’ he said.

Giving way to such violence is not an option and our open and democratic society will not be ruled by fear, the prime minister said after a meeting with security officials. ‘I have said it before, and I will say it again today. There are more of us.’

While there is no concrete evidence that the Netherlands has been singled out for a terrorist attack, a range of precautions are being taken, Rutte said.

Patrols have been stepped up at airports and major railway stations, there will be extensive surveillance along the border with Belgium and there will be extra checks on international trains, Rutte said. Security will also be beefed up at Arnhem, Breda and Roosendaal stations because of their proximity to the border.

Alert

The threat level in the Netherlands remains ‘substantial’, which is one level below the maximum. The cabinet remains alert and will introduce new measures if necessary, the prime minister said.

The blasts at Brussels’ Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station killed at least 26 people and injured many more. The city is on a virtual lock-down and there has been widespread disruption to transport services in Belgium and the Netherlands.

All trains to Brussels airport have been stopped and all flights cancelled following the explosions. Air traffic which was en route for Brussels is being rerouted via Schiphol. Thalys high-speed services to Brussels have also been cancelled and the number of trains to and from Schiphol has been reduced.

Hoofddorp

Hoofddorp’s railway station was closed for a time on Tuesday when an international train was halted because of a ‘suspicious situation’.

According to one report, the police were alerted after a passenger showed ‘suspect behaviour’ in a train heading for Amsterdam.

The sealed-off area around the station was expanded around 1pm after the discovery of a suspect package in a van. Two delivery staff were arrested for failing to follow police instructions but were later released, news agency ANP says.

Later in the afternoon, a building in Hoofddorp used by publishing group Sanoma was evacuated after a suspect package was found in a car with open doors. That too was a false alarm.

Amsterdam

A man was also arrested at Amsterdam’s main railway station on Tuesday morning and led away by police wearing a blindfold. He was ‘not found to be carrying a weapon’ and was later released with ‘apologies’, local broadcaster AT5 said.

In Zwolle, a train was brought to a halt following reports that a passenger was displaying suspect behaviour. He was eventually removed from the train which was allowed to continue its journey after a 30-minute delay.

King

Dutch king Willem-Alexander issued a statement saying that he had been in touch with Belgium’s king Philippe. ‘Europe is being tested heavily again,’ he said. ‘What we need to do now is show our collective strength and hold high our values of solidarity and freedom.’

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