Two people are critically ill in a UK hospital with life-threatening injuries, after a mass stabbing attack on a London-bound train on Saturday evening, British police said.
British Transport Police said two people have been arrested in connection with the stabbings. Counter-terrorism police are supporting the investigation.
Supt John Loveless said the shocking incident resulted in the arrest of two men, one black and one of Caribbean origin, within eight minutes of the emergency services receiving a call.
While counter-terrorism police were involved the incident was being treated as an isolated attack. “At this stage there is nothing to suggest this is a terrorist incident,” he said.
Ten people were taken to hospital after the incident, four have since been discharged, and the number with life-threatening injuries has reduced from nine to two who remain undergoing treatment.
The police said that “Plato”, the national code word used by police and emergency services when responding to what could be a “marauding terror attack”, was initiated. That declaration was later rescinded but no motive for the attack was disclosed.
The attack took place as the Doncaster to London King’s Cross train headed south towards Huntingdon, a market town a few miles north-west of the university city of Cambridge.
Emergency services, including armed police and air ambulances, responded quickly as the train drew into Huntingdon.
A passenger named Steve told the BBC that he ran off the train with his children as the train pulled in and saw the first police car arrive within about seven minutes of the train alarm going off.
“As soon as we heard something was amiss, I said we are going to get to the opposite end of the train,” he said. “A woman came on the tannoy and said 'we are aware there is an incident – just keep yourself safe'. Which was kind of scary to hear because we didn't know what was going on.”
The attack appears to have been contained swiftly after the train arrived at the station, and police officers wearing forensic suits, with a police dog, could be seen on the platform.
Once off the train, the passengers fled the area fearing a knife-wielding rampage could follow. “We ran out into the car park and up a hill and out into a road,” Steve said. “Then we ran to someone's house and we hammered on all the doors and pressed the buzzers. A kind, elderly couple looked after us until it was safe to leave.”
Cambridgeshire Constabulary, the local police force, said armed police arrested the two people at the station, which is about 120km north of London.
One witness told Sky News that one of the suspects, waving a large knife, was tasered by police.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his “thoughts are with all those affected” after the “appalling incident”.
Paul Bristow, the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said he had heard of “horrendous scenes” on the train.
London North Eastern Railway, or LNER, which operates the East Coast Mainline services in the UK, confirmed the incident had happened on one of its trains and urged passengers not to travel because of “major disruption”.
Ben Obese-Jecty, the MP for Huntingdon, said it is “vital” that information about the suspects is released to “stop any misinformation and speculation from being spread”.
“I saw this last night when I put out a tweet saying that I was aware of the incident, I was trying to find out more information,” he said. “Hundreds of comments came back speculating as to the nature of the attack, the motive, background of the attacker.”
Stabbing attacks
Mass casualty stabbing attacks are not uncommon in the UK. On October 2, a terrorist, Jihad Al Shamie, was shot dead after he launched a knife attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester. Worshippers Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were killed in the incident.
On October 15, 2023, Ahmed Alid, 45, stabbed Terence Carney, 70, to death in Hartlepool town centre in “revenge” for Israel declaring war on Hamas on October 8, 2023.
On June 20, 2020, failed Libyan asylum seeker Khairi Saadallah fatally stabbed friends James Furlong, 36, Dr David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, on June 20 2020, in Forbury Gardens, Reading, Berkshire.
