Nine People With Critical Injuries After Train Stabbing Attack In UK

Nine people were left with life-threatening injuries after a stabbing attack on a train in central England on Saturday night.

British Transport Police arrested two people in connection with the incident and declared it a “major incident.” Counterterrorism officers have joined the investigation.

At one point, police used the codeword “Plato”, which refers to a “marauding terrorist attack”, though it was later stood down.

According to police, ten people were taken to hospital, nine of whom remain in critical condition. No deaths have been reported.

The attack was reported around 7:42 p.m. local time on a train traveling from Doncaster to London’s King’s Cross. Armed officers responded immediately, stopping the train at Huntingdon station, where two suspects were arrested.

As of Sunday morning, authorities had not released any information about the attackers. Defence Minister John Healey told reporters the stabbing appeared to be an “isolated incident.”

Witness accounts

Passenger Wren Chamber told reporters she first heard “screaming and shouting” from a few carriages away. Moments later, a man ran past with a severe arm wound, bleeding heavily.

At first, Chamber assumed it was just a Halloween prank, until the man yelled that someone had a knife and had stabbed him.

Soon after, more people began rushing down the train. Chamber grabbed her things and moved as far away as she could.

Another passenger, identified only as Gavin, said he saw an “extremely bloodied” victim before officers stormed in. “Police yelled at everyone to ‘get down, get down,’” he recalled. “They tasered the guy – he was waving a big knife – and then arrested him.”

A third witness, who was listening to an audio book at the time, described a frightening moment when the attacker allegedly tried to stab a young girl, but an older man intervened and was wounded while protecting her.

Video shared online showed the chaotic aftermath of the train attack – a wounded passenger running from the station as dozens of emergency vehicles and police cars filled the street.

British Transport Police Chief Superintendent called it “a shocking incident” and expressed his sympathies to those injured and their families.

He said officers are working urgently to piece together what happened, noting that it may take some time before more details can be released.

It’s still unknown what charges the suspects will face. Overall, the UK has one of the lowest homicide rates among Western nations.

Incidents involving guns are especially uncommon; there have been roughly 5,100 firearm-related offences reported so far this year.