Authorities in Germany have announced the arrest of a woman following a knife attack that injured at least 12 individuals at the main station in Hamburg, a city in the north.
Emergency services reported that some of the injured had life-threatening wounds, though the total number affected remains uncertain.
At approximately 6:30 PM local time (5 PM Irish time), Hamburg police communicated via X that they were conducting a significant operation at the main train station in the country’s second-largest city.
“A person has injured several individuals with a knife at the main train station,” they stated, confirming that a suspect had been apprehended.
Forensic police officers are investigating the railway platform at Hamburg’s main train station.
Police indicated that investigations into the incident were “ongoing at full speed,” but did not provide any clues regarding a potential motive.
A representative from the Hamburg fire department confirmed that 12 people were injured in the knife assault.
Of the injured, “six individuals sustained life-threatening injuries,” he reported, although German media suggested that the count of severely injured persons might be lower.
Security Concerns
The incident occurred during rush hour at the week’s end, according to reports from German media.
The suspect was believed to have conducted the attack “against passengers” at the station, according to a spokeswoman from the Hanover federal police directorate, which oversees Hamburg as well.
Images from the scene depicted police blocking access to the platforms at one end of the station while victims were loaded into ambulances.
Some of the assault’s victims were being treated on waiting trains at the station, as reported by Bild.
Images from the scene showed access to the platforms at one end of the station obstructed by police.
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn announced via X that four platforms at the station had been closed.
In recent months, Germany has faced a wave of violent acts, often driven by jihadist or far-right extremist motives, raising significant security concerns.
The latest incident, which occurred on Sunday, resulted in four injuries from a stabbing at a bar in Bielefeld.
The case had been forwarded to federal prosecutors after the Syrian suspect informed arresting officers of his jihadist beliefs.
Discussions surrounding security – and the immigrant backgrounds of many attackers – dominated Germany’s recent election campaign.
The elections in late February saw the conservative CDU/CSU leading the polls, alongside a record score exceeding 20 percent for the far-right, anti-immigration party, Alternative for Germany.
