[3] In 2008, De Punt reached national headlines as the site of a fire in a shipyard, in which three firemen, aged 29 (Raymond Patrick Soyer), 38 (Egbert Ubels) and 48 (Anne Kregel), died.

In 1949, Indonesia became independent, and the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army was disbanded.

On 25 May, the hijackers threatened to blow up the train, if the Dutch government refused to plead for an independent South Maluku.

On 11 June 1977, the Netherlands Marine Corps aided by the Air Force, attacked the train.

The incident remains controversial due to excessive violence from the marines: a total of 144 bullets were fired.