Two in Critical Condition After Mass Stabbing on London-Bound Train
London: Two people’s lives remain in danger following a mass stabbing that injured 10 people on a high-speed train heading to London on Sunday, as British Transport Police ruled out a terrorist link to the major incident due to a lack of counter-terrorism police involvement. Two UK-born men in their 30s remain in custody after being arrested at the scene of the attack on Saturday night when armed police stormed the train at Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire, east England.
The train, departing from Doncaster and heading to King’s Cross station in the UK capital, made an unplanned stop in Huntingdon, minutes after leaving near Peterborough station, following what eyewitnesses described as a bloody attack on the train.
We declared a major incident yesterday (Saturday) and Counter Terrorism Police were initially supporting our investigation, but at this stage there is nothing to suggest this is a terrorist incident,” British Transport Police (BTP) Inspector John Loveless said.
This is a British Transport Police investigation. We continue to work to determine the full circumstances and motivation of this incident. Loveless told reporters outside Huntingdon railway station, which was cordoned off as a crime scene, that it would be inappropriate to speculate about the causes of the incident at this early stage.
A 32-year-old black British citizen and a 35-year-old British citizen of Caribbean descent were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Both were born in England. He stated that they remained in police custody for questioning.
Giving more details about the shocking incident, the police official said the force responded to emergency calls for reports of multiple stabbings around 7.42pm local time on Saturday. Armed officers from Cambridgeshire Police boarded the train in Huntingdon, a small market town in the county, and arrested two men eight minutes after the first emergency call was made to 999.
Ten people were taken to hospital by ambulance, and another person was admitted to hospital later that evening. Loveless added that while nine patients were initially believed to have life-threatening injuries, following evaluation and treatment, four were discharged and two patients remained in life-threatening condition.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood praised BTP, Cambridgeshire Police, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and East of England Ambulance Service for their rapid response and utmost professionalism which saved lives. We now know that this attack is not considered terrorism and that two British-born British nationals were arrested. He reiterated that the investigation was ongoing and that I was receiving regular updates from the police.
Buckingham Palace, King George III. Charles and Queen Camilla have released a statement saying they were truly horrified and shocked to hear of the horrific stabbing attack on a train in Cambridgeshire last night. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the horrific incident on social media overnight and urged people to follow police advice.
London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), the operator of the high-speed train, said that its services were expected to be interrupted until at least the end of Sunday following the attack on the train. While the train’s next stop was some distance away at Stevenage in Hertfordshire, passengers pulled the emergency cord to stop at Huntingdon, where armed police boarded to take charge.
Many eyewitnesses recall the horror of blood everywhere, with some even wondering if it was a spooky prank played on Halloween weekend. Other witnesses said they saw a man with a large knife in his hand and passengers running and trying to hide in the toilets.
