Dam square in central Amsterdam was closed to pedestrians and traffic on Thursday afternoon following an explosion and car fire close to the war memorial.

Camera footage shows a small red car driving slowly on to the pedestrian area up to the plant pots and then a small blast, at which point a man emerges from the car with his clothes on fire and starts rolling on the ground.

A police car heading in the same direction stops and two officers ran across to the car, apparently urging people who had gone to help to get back.

Other footage shows a tall man, wandering around the Dam with his trousers loose and on fire, while the car burns in the back ground and police attempt to get close to him. They then spray him with a fire extinguisher and order him to get down on the ground.

Police say the driver appears to have started the fire deliberately and that he was injured in the blaze. He has been taken to hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries. He will be arrested, police said.

They said later the driver is a 50-year-old Dutchman from Noord Holland and that they are considering suicide as a possible motive.

The area will remain cordoned off for some time while it is made safe.

The explosion comes a week after a mass stabbing close to the Dam, in which five people were attacked. Four of them remain in hospital. There is no connection between the events, police said.

More to follow

Anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts can chat with someone anonymously online at www.113.nl or call the free number 0800-0113.