‘Nothing to suggest’ attack is terror-related as police reveal details of two Britons arrested
Police said they were called at 7.39pm on Saturday (6.39am Sunday AEDT) following reports that “multiple people” had been stabbed as the train from Doncaster to King’s Cross was heading south towards Huntingdon, about 120 kilometers north of London.
In a statement about X, the service said: “Nine people are thought to have life-threatening injuries. A major incident has been declared and @TerrorismPolice is supporting our investigation.”
British Transport Police Chief Inspector Chris Casey described the attack as shocking.
“We are conducting urgent investigations to determine what happened and it may be some time before we are in a position to confirm further,” he said.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayor Paul Bristow said he heard “horrific scenes” during the attack, which began shortly after the train left Peterborough station. The passengers activated the emergency alarm to warn the driver of the danger.
An eyewitness said that the injured passengers ran between the carriages to escape the attack.
According to a witness who described the events to Sky News UK, one of the victims told other passengers during the chaos: “There are knives, I’ve been stabbed.” This victim collapsed and was taken to the ambulance when the train stopped.
The witness said the victim was “extremely bloody” from the stabbing. No accounts in the immediate aftermath of the events made any statement regarding the attack.
Following the attack, emergency personnel inspected the train at Huntingdon.Credit: access point
“There were many people stabbed on the way down. [onto the station]But the suspect also got off the train,” the witness said.
He added that he did not witness the attacks but saw some of the victims.
“Armed police were pointing at the suspect as he got off the train,” he said, adding that he was told the suspect was a male “dressed entirely in black” who was “waving a large knife” before being taken off.
He said the second suspect was later stopped by police with a device resembling a stun gun.
Emergency staff on the tracks at Huntingdon railway station in Cambridgeshire following a stabbing attack.Credit: access point
The second witness, Oliver Foster, also said passengers ran inside the train to escape the attackers.
Foster told the BBC: “There was one girl who was in a very, very bad way, thank goodness. “Because the guy had actually tried to stab her and one of the old men, who was a total hero, had blocked it with his head. “He had a gash in his neck and we gave him a jacket to keep the pressure on.”
Passengers could not barricade the doors and waited in the carriage, not knowing whether the attackers could pass through the train.
“It literally felt like forever and then the train stopped,” Foster said.
Police and emergency services swarmed the station as passengers fled to the platform at Huntingdon.
A third eyewitness described the scene on the train as “horrifying” and “pure chaos”.
“There was blood everywhere,” the witness said. Sun.
“It was a terrifying scene, really violent. It was like something out of a movie. It didn’t feel real and it caused pure panic on the ship.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed concern about the “horrible” events.
“My thoughts are with everyone affected and I would like to thank the emergency services for their response,” he said.
Emergency vehicles line up at the scene.Credit: Getty Images
Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood confirmed the arrests and warned against assumptions.
“The two suspects were immediately caught and detained,” he said. “I am receiving regular updates on the investigation. I urge people to refrain from comment and speculation at this early stage.”
The attack caused widespread disruption on busy railway lines on Saturday night, halting transport.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said he was deeply disturbed by the reports from Huntingdon.
“This is an absolutely horrific attack and my thoughts are with everyone affected, including the emergency responders at the scene,” he said.
Reuters via AP
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