A knife attack at the main railway station in the German city of Hamburg has left several people with life-threatening injuries, police have said.
Hamburg Police said 18 people were injured in the attack at the northern city’s Central Station at about 4:00pm GMT on Friday, says BBC.
Officers arrested a 39-year-old German woman at the scene as they carried out a major operation. The woman remains in police custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Saturday. In a post on X, Hamburg Police said several people who were hurt had sustained life-threatening injuries.
Speaking to the press outside the station, police said they believe the suspect acted alone. Police added later that its homicide division is investigating the incident as well as the suspect’s motives. The attack happened between platforms 13 and 14 – which are accessible via a busy main road – while a train was on one of the platforms.
Some of the victims were treated inside trains, according to reports.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the attack was “shocking” and thanked the emergency services on the ground for “their rapid assistance”. German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said four platforms at the station were closed and some services would experience delays and diversions.
Pictures from the scene show a number of emergency service personnel and vehicles on the ground, and barriers that seem to be hiding the injured from public view. A video on social media appears to show the suspect with her hands behind her back being escorted out of the station platform by officers who put her in a police vehicle.
Hamburg Central Station is one of Germany’s busiest transport hubs, with more than 550,000 travellers per day according to its website. It is often crowded during Friday rush hour.