SIDN failure: Currently it is not possible to check .nl

There is a malfunction at SIDN, therefore it is currently not possible to check the status of a .nl domain.

Message from SIDN itself:

Since 7.30 this morning it is not possible for registrars to register new .nl domain names or make changes to existing domain names. Also the Whois, the service that lets you check whether a domain name is free, is currently unavailable. The reason for this is a disruption in SIDN's systems. We are working on a solution. Unfortunately it is not yet known when our systems will be available again.