Armed Woman Knife Blindly Attacks Crowd At Hamburg Station, 12 Injured

Photo illustration. (Doc. Pexels)

JAKARTA - An incident of a horrific attack using a knife rocked the main station of Hamburg City, Germany on Friday night, causing at least 12 people to be injured. The city fire service reported that six victims suffered life-threatening injuries, while three others were seriously injured and three others were slightly injured.

The Hamburg Police immediately launched a massive operation and succeeded in arresting the alleged perpetrator, a 39-year-old woman, who is believed to have acted alone. The motive behind this attack is still under intensive investigation.

This incident reportedly occurred near platform 13 and 14, the crowded area at the station, coinciding with the arrival of a train at around 18.00 local time. The area around the scene has been sterilized by the police.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his deep concern over this news. By telephone to the Mayor of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher, he said, "My thoughts are with the victims and their families," quoted from the Independent, Saturday, May 24.

Deutsche Bahn, the German railway operator, also expressed deep sorrow over this violent incident. "Our thoughts and condolences are with those who were injured," said Deutsche Bahn. As a result of ongoing police operations, the 11 to 14 lanes at the Hamburg Central Station were closed, causing delays and diversion of routes for long-distance trains. Passengers are advised to check their travel schedules through official applications and websites.

Hamburg Central Station is one of Germany's busiest transportation centers, serving an average of 550,000 passengers daily, making it Europe's second busiest train station after Gare du Nord in Paris. Regulations at this station prohibit carrying weapons, including knives.

The incident occurred more than two months after a car hit a crowd of people on a busy shopping road in the town of Mannheim, adding to the list of violence that occurred in Germany.