A stabbing attack at the crowded central train station in the German city of Hamburg left several people hurt, with some in life-threatening condition, according to authorities. A woman was arrested as the suspect.
The attacker struck people on the platform between tracks 13 and 14 around 6 p.m., police said. The station, located in downtown Hamburg, Germany’s second-largest city, is a major connection point for local, regional, and long-distance trains.
Police reported that “several” people had life-threatening injuries, but didn’t give exact numbers. Later on Friday evening, Hamburg’s fire service said a total of 17 people were injured — four of them had life-threatening injuries, six had serious injuries, and seven had minor ones, according to the German news agency dpa.
Police said the suspect, a 39-year-old German woman, was arrested at the scene without resisting. After checking video footage, they believe she acted alone. The knife was found and secured.
There was no immediate sign of a political reason behind the attack, and investigators were considering whether the suspect might have been mentally ill, said police spokesperson Florian Abbenseth.
Investigators works at Hamburg’s Railway StationA high-speed ICE train with its doors open remained at the platform for hours after the attack, but Abbenseth said it was not part of the crime scene.
Railway company Deutsche Bahn said it was “deeply shocked” by the attack. Four tracks at the station were shut down Friday evening, and some long-distance trains were delayed or rerouted.
Carrying weapons, including knives, is not allowed at the station or on local public transport in Hamburg.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s office said the German leader was deeply disturbed by the news. In a phone call Friday evening with Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher, he said, “my thoughts are with the victims and their relatives.”
