Counter-terrorism police are investigating a train stabbing in the UK that left 10 people injured, most with life-threatening injuries.
British Transport Police said late on Saturday that the attack had been classified as a “serious incident” and that “counter-terrorism police are assisting our investigation.”
Two people were arrested in connection with this attack.
“Ten people were taken to hospital, nine of whom are believed to have life-threatening injuries. One person is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. There have been no fatalities,” police said in a statement.
At 7.42pm, police were alerted to an attack on the line from Doncaster to King’s Cross in London.
Witnesses said they saw a man with a large knife.
Police said armed officers were called to Huntingdon station, the train made an unplanned stop and two people were arrested.
British Transport Police Chief Superintendent Chris Casey called it a “shocking incident” and said his thoughts were with the injured and their families.
“We are carrying out an urgent investigation to determine what happened, but it may be some time before we are in a position to confirm anything further,” he said. “At this early stage, it would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause of the incident.”
A witness who was on the train said he saw the victim “very bloody.” The man, who gave his name as Gavin, told Sky News he believed he saw the suspect being shot with a Taser before being arrested.
When police approached him, he reportedly yelled, “Get off, get off.”
“Then he was brandishing a knife, a fairly large knife, so they detained him,” the witness said.
“I think it was the Taser that ultimately killed him,” he said.
Immediate footage of the incident shared on social media showed dozens of police and emergency vehicles with flashing blue lights gathered outside Huntingdon station. One video showed armed police officers sprinting across a station platform toward the front end of a stopped train.
Emergency responders said they responded to the stabbing on a large scale, including dispatching several air ambulances.
In a statement on the
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the incident “extremely worrying”.
“My thoughts are with everyone affected and I would like to thank the responding emergency services. Anyone in the area should follow police advice,” he told X.
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said she was “deeply saddened to hear about the stabbing” and that her “thoughts go out to all those affected”.
Mahmoud said he was receiving regular updates on the investigation and urged the public to avoid “speculating at this early stage” about what was behind the stabbing.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER), the railway company that operates trains on the East Coast Main Line, said: “There is significant disruption across LNER’s routes.”
The East Coast Main Line is one of the UK’s busiest and most important railway lines. It connects major cities from King’s Cross in London to Edinburgh Waverley in Scotland.
“Our advice is ‘do not travel’. Postpone travel if possible,” LNER said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
