On Saturday evening, an incident involving a knife occurred on a train traveling from Doncaster to London, resulting in 11 people being injured. Unfortunately, one of the victims is in critical condition. One person has been arrested on suspicion of the attack; however, the police stated that there are no grounds to consider this incident a terrorist act, as reported by the BBC.
The attack took place while the train was traveling through Cambridgeshire, heading to King's Cross station in London.
Passengers on the train began calling emergency services to report the knife attack. They noted that one or more individuals armed with a knife were attacking those in the carriage.
Immediately after receiving reports of the incident, numerous police and emergency services arrived at Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire, as the train had stopped there unscheduled.
During the operation, two men were arrested on suspicion of the attack.
Later, on Sunday, law enforcement clarified that both arrested individuals are British citizens. One is 32 years old, and the other is 35 years old; both were born in the UK, but their names have not been disclosed.
By the evening of November 2, the police reported that the only suspect in the attack remained the 32-year-old man, while the 35-year-old was released without charges.
“Upon arrival at the scene, police received evidence indicating the arrested individual's involvement in the attack. However, after analyzing all the data, it became clear that he was not connected to the incident,” the police commented on the release of the second man.
A total of 11 people were injured in the attack. Of these, five have already been discharged from the hospital, but one patient, an employee of London North Eastern Railway (LNER) who tried to stop the attacker, remains in critical condition.
Police noted that video footage from surveillance cameras shows that the actions of this employee were extremely heroic and likely saved many lives.
Police and emergency services continue to investigate the scene at Huntingdon station.
Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP
Witnesses recounted the events during the attack.
Ollie Foster, who was on the train, reported that passengers were in a panic, and many victims were crying for help.
He told the BBC that he first heard shouts: “Run, run, there’s a guy with a knife,” and thought it was a Halloween prank, which had been celebrated the day before.
Soon, people began to scramble through the carriage, and Foster noticed that his hand was “covered in blood,” as “blood was everywhere on the seat.”
He also recounted that an elderly man shielded a girl, protecting her from a blow, but was himself injured in the head and neck. Passengers around him used jackets to stop the bleeding.
Although the attack lasted only 10-15 minutes, according to Foster, it felt endless.
The British Transport Police confirmed to the BBC that at the beginning of the incident, the code word “Plato” was used, which is applied in response to mass terrorist attacks. This code was later rescinded, reported BBC correspondent Daniel Sandford.
On Sunday afternoon, a representative of the transport police stated that there is currently no information indicating a possible terrorist act.
He also noted that it is premature to draw conclusions about the attacker’s motives.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that she receives regular updates on the investigation's progress and urged against speculation at this early stage.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident in Cambridgeshire as a “shocking event” that raises “deep concern.”
