Five teenagers, four of whom are under the age of 18, have been arrested in Arnhem following a violent attack on a 73-year-old man, who died from his injuries in hospital.

Police had issued an appeal for help in catching the five, who were seen by eyewitnesses running toward a local train station after the attack on Wednesday evening. It is unclear if they were picked up by police or had turned themselves in but all five were in custody by late Thursday afternoon.

Eyewitness Mink de Gooijer told the Telegraaf he had heard the victim screaming for help and ran outside, to see the five youths kicking a man who was lying on the ground, bleeding heavily.

‘They ran off as soon as people started coming outside,’ he said. ‘The man was spitting up blood. It was terrible to see.’

Police have not yet said what sparked the violence, but photographs show a bicycle, possibly that of the victim, lying in the road.

Two of the five teenagers come from Rozendaal, two from Westervoort and one from Arnhem, broadcaster NOS said.

Arnhem mayor Ahmed Marcouch has described the attack as ‘monstrous’ and said that it has had an enormous impact on the city.