Police in the central Dutch city of Utrecht say they are investigating a shooting in a tram that left “multiple” people injured and are considering the possibility of a “terrorist motive”.

Police, including heavily-armed officers, flooded the area after the shooting that happened on Monday morning on a tram at a busy traffic intersection.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the situation “very worrying” and the country’s counter-terror co-ordinator said in a tweet that a crisis team was meeting to discuss the situation.

There have been no reports yet of any suspects arrested.

Netherlands shooting scene
Rescue workers at the scene of the shooting (Peter Dejong/AP/PA)

The country’s anti-terror coordinator raised the threat alert to its highest level around the central Dutch town following the shooting incident.

Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg said in a statement that the “threat level has gone to five, exclusively for the Utrecht province,” referring to the highest level.

“The culprit is still on the run. A terror motive cannot be excluded,” he said in a Twitter message. He called on citizens to closely follow the indications of the local police.

Dutch police say they are looking for a least one person who might have fled by car.

Spokesman Bernhard Jens did not exclude that more people might be involved. “We want to try to catch the person responsible as soon as possible,” Mr Jens said.