Khaberni -The German police announced on Friday that a woman was detained after injuring 17 people in a knife attack at the main train station in Hamburg, northern Germany.
The emergency services said that "the lives of some victims are at risk," without specifying their number, referring to a stabbing incident that occurred during peak hour at the end of a workweek.
Later, a Hamburg police spokesperson stated that "the suspect is a 39-year-old woman, and was detained at the site by law enforcement officers." Florian Abenseith, the spokesperson, added in statements to journalists broadcasted by official television, "the officers approached her and she allowed herself to be detained without any resistance."
According to Abenseith, the investigations are proceeding "at maximum speed" without any indication of a possible motive. He noted, "we have information based on which we want to investigate whether she suffers from a psychological emergency." It is believed that the suspect "acted alone."
A spokesperson for the fire department reported that at least 17 people were injured in the knife attack. The spokesperson updated that 4 of them are critically endangered, revising a previous count which reported 6. The attack occurred just after 18:00 in front of a stationary train at the station.
In the evening rush hour at the end of a workweek, according to German media. It is believed that the suspect carried out the attack "against passengers" at the station, according to a spokeswoman for the Hanover federal police department, which encompasses Hamburg.
The German newspaper Bild reported that some of the victims were treated in trains that were stopped at the station. Scenes from the incident showed police closing some of the platforms at the station and transporting people to ambulances.
In a post by the German railway sector operator "Deutsche Bahn" on X, it was reported that 4 platforms at the station had been closed while investigations are ongoing. "Deutsche Bahn" indicated that the incident will lead to "delays in journeys and rerouting," some of which especially concerning long-distance routes.
The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his shock, in a call with the Mayor of Hamburg following the attack. Merz, as per his spokesman Stefan Cornelius, extended his solidarity with the victims and their families. Germany has seen a series of attacks in recent months.
