Knife attack at Hamburg train station leaves several injured

Hamburg, May 24 At least 18 people were injured in a knife attack at Hamburg train station on Friday evening, according to local media reports.

Authorities confirmed the arrest of a woman suspected of being behind the assault. Of the injured, four are in critical condition, while six others sustained serious injuries, according to a report by Germany's Bild newspaper.

Hamburg police, however, stated on the social media platform X that there were no confirmed figures available as yet but acknowledged that "several" people had suffered life-threatening injuries.

According to police sources, the attacker struck passengers on the platform situated between tracks 13 and 14. The station, located in the heart of Hamburg -- Germany's second-largest city -- is a major hub for local, regional, and long-distance train services.

The stabbing took place shortly after 6 p.m., right in front of a waiting train, reports regional broadcaster NDR.

A high-speed ICE train was visible at the platform following the incident, with its doors still open -- suggesting the attack occurred as passengers were boarding or alighting from the train.

As a result of the violence, four tracks at the station were shut down on Friday evening. The temporary closures led to delays and diversions for several long-distance trains operating through the busy terminal.

Florian Abbenseth, spokesperson for the Hamburg police, told reporters that the motive behind the attack was still under investigation. "So far, we have no evidence that the woman could have acted with political motivation," he said.

"Rather, we have findings on the basis of which we are now investigating in particular whether she may have been in a state of mental distress," Abbenseth added.

The stabbing incident comes amid heightened security concerns in Germany. Just earlier this year, in February, days before the country's federal election, another shocking incident unfolded in Munich where at least 30 people were injured after a car rammed into a crowd.

The suspect in that case was a 24-year-old Afghan national and asylum seeker who was swiftly taken into custody.

The Munich incident had occurred only hours before several prominent international leaders, including US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were due to arrive in the city for the annual Munich Security Conference.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor