Many people were injured on Monday in shooting in the Dutch town of Utrecht, police said.

The incident unfolded on or near a tram, CNN quoted police spokesman Joost Lanshage as saying.

“The police is investigating the shooting at the #24oktoberplein in Utrecht this morning. An possible terrorist motif is part of the investigation,” Utrecht police tweeted after the incident took place.

The police is investigating the shooting at the #24oktoberplein in Utrecht this morning. An possible terrorist motif is part of the investigation.

— Politie Utrecht (@PolitieUtrecht) March 18, 2019

Police said witnesses saw a man take out a weapon and start shooting randomly before fleeing the scene, Efe news reported. The police said the incident took place at the 24th of October Square, which has been closed off.

"Multiple people have been injured. The surrounding area has been cordoned off and we are investigating the matter," the police tweeted.

The air ambulance service said it had deployed three helicopters to the scene.

This incident comes just days after a gunman open fired at two mosques in New Zealand's Christchurch neighbourhood which left 49 people dead and several others injured.