Dutch police have arrested a second suspect in connection with the arson attack on a 69-year-old disabled man in Utrecht, bringing the total number of people in custody to two. The second suspect, a 55-year-old man from Utrecht, was detained on Wednesday morning. He joins a 37-year-old man arrested the previous day. Both are being held on suspicion of attempted manslaughter and attempted murder.

The attack took place on Tuesday afternoon at around 15:30 near the Smaragdplein shopping area in Utrecht, a city in the centre of the Netherlands. The victim, who had lost both legs and relied on an electric wheelchair for mobility, was set alight when an unknown assailant approached him with a burning promotional leaflet and placed it behind his back. Bystanders quickly intervened, pulling the man from his wheelchair, laying him on the ground, and extinguishing the flames while others called the emergency services. The victim was subsequently transferred to a specialist burns centre in Rotterdam; his current condition has not been officially confirmed.

Police say the attack does not appear to have been random. Investigators believe the incident stemmed from a prior conflict between the victim and the suspects, who are thought to have known one another, though the exact nature of their relationship is still being established. A local shopkeeper told Dutch media that the victim — described as a familiar face in the neighbourhood who regularly begged outside shops — had been asked to move on shortly before the attack occurred.

The first arrest was made on the basis of CCTV footage and witness testimony; the second suspect was identified through further investigation. Utrecht mayor Sharon Dijksma described the attack as a horrific form of violence, noting that the victim's inability to escape made it all the more devastating. Justice Minister Van Weel also condemned the incident, stating that setting a person on fire "crosses every boundary" and that those responsible would be prosecuted.

Authorities have confirmed that no further suspects are being sought at this stage. Both men remain in custody pending further questioning. Witnesses and bystanders who were present during the attack have been urged to seek support from Slachtofferhulp Nederland, the Dutch national victim support service, given the traumatic nature of what they witnessed.