A man set himself and his car on fire on Amsterdam’s Dam Square on Thursday, police said.

Images posted by local media and online show a small red car pulling up to the National Monument located near the square’s south-eastern corner.

A small explosion followed shortly afterwards, with flames shooting out of the vehicle.

“Camera images show that the fire on the Dam was sparked after an explosion in a car,” Amsterdam police confirmed on X.

“At that moment, there were a lot of people close to the vehicle, but as far as we know, no bystanders were injured,” police added.

Passers-by can be seen scattering, with several police vehicles quickly surrounding the burning car.

The fire was believed to have been deliberately started by the car’s driver “who was injured in the process”, police said.

The driver stumbled from the car with his clothes on fire, quickly extinguished by police.

The injured man was taken to hospital and was under police arrest.

He was later identified as a 50-year-old Dutch national from the North Netherlands province. Police did not release his name.