Hamburg stabbing: Major police investigation underway after 12 injured in train station knife attack
At least 12 people are believed to have been injured in a knife attack at Hamburg Central Station on Friday evening.
The German city’s fire service said that six people sustained life-threatening injuries, while another three were seriously injured and three had slight injuries, according to the news agency dpa.
Hamburg Police said it had arrested the suspected assailant on social media after declaring a major police operation.
They said on social media: “There is currently a major police operation in #Hamburg on #Hauptbahnhof!
“We are investigating the background and will provide further information here shortly.”
Authorities revealed they arrested a 39-year-old woman, who they believe acted alone. They gave no further details of the attack. “Investigations into the background are in full swing,” they said.
Police said there were “no reliable figures on the number of injured people” but confirmed several people had sustained life-threatening injuries.
Local media reported that the attack took place near platforms 13 and 14, accessible via a busy main road, while a train had pulled into one of the platforms around 6pm local time. Police have cordoned off part of the complex.
Deutsche Bahn said of the incident: “We are deeply saddened by the violent incident at Hamburg Central Station this early evening. Our thoughts and condolences are with those injured.
“Due to the ongoing police operation, tracks 11 to 14 at Hamburg Central Station are currently closed. Delays and diversions are occurring for long-distance trains.
“We ask our passengers to check their connections before starting their journey using digital information tools such as bahn.de and the DB Navigator app. DB service staff will be available to assist passengers at the main station.
“We are fully supporting the authorities in their investigations on site.”
The station, downtown in Germany’s second-biggest city, is a major hub for local, regional and long-distance trains. With an average of 550,000 passengers a day, Hamburg is Germany’s busiest railway station and the second-busiest in Europe after the Gare du Nord in Paris.
Carrying weapons, including knives, is banned at the station and on local transport in the city.
The incident comes over two months after a a car rammed into a crowd on a busy shopping street in the city of Mannheim. Police arrested one man following the incident on a pedestrianised street, where a market had been put up for carnival season.
An elderly woman and 54-year-old man were killed in the incident which took place in March.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
