On Saturday evening, police received reports of a horrific hate crime in South London. These stabbings weren’t on the subway or a bus, but on an intercity train from Doncaster to London King’s Cross. Authorities received reports of the attack at 7:42 PM, shortly after the train had departed from Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire.
The crash left nine people with life-threatening injuries, and a tenth person suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. Two suspects have been arrested along with the attack, which BTP has referred to as a ‘significant incident’. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented burdens on the nation’s transit agencies, prompting widespread pushback from riders and legislators in response.
According to eyewitnesses, the attack started while the train was en route to London. An 80-year-old man did something formidable when he intervened to prevent an assailant from knifing a younger girl. He was shot in the head and neck while saving her from the gunfire. Other passengers quickly jumped into action. They immediately used their trench coats and clothing to stop the blood flow of the victims.
As a result of the incident’s severity, BTP and counter-terrorism police are now jointly investigating the mass stabbing. Chris Casey, a spokesperson for BTP, noted that their original response was only the beginning.
“This is a shocking incident and first and foremost my thoughts are with those who have been injured this evening and their families.” – Chris Casey
UK rail authorities are warning of widespread disruption to train services. This will have a knock-on effect on routes between London King’s Cross and Lincoln, Doncaster, Leeds, Bradford Forster Square and Harrogate until Monday. Passengers are urged to delay travel if they can, as investigations rage on.
In the aftermath of this attack, all of our major political leaders have rightly condemned this horrifying behavior. Even Labour’s new prime minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the occurrence as “deeply concerning.” By contrast, this was how Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch responded to it: We have it 100% horrific. She also expanded her comments to everyone impacted, including emergency responders.
“This is an absolutely horrific attack and my thoughts are with all those affected including the emergency responders at the scene.” – Kemi Badenoch
New MP for Huntingdon Ben Obese-Jecty condemned the incident as “appalling and devastating,” underscoring how serious this situation is. Ms Mahmood said she was ‘devastated’ by the stabbings. She implored those present not to speculate on the motives of the attack.
“Deeply saddened to hear about the stabbings in Huntingdon. My thoughts go out to all those affected.” – Shabana Mahmood
BTP has urged anyone with information related to the incident who has not yet spoken to police to come forward. The police have established cordons throughout the vicinity, which will stay in place as the police carry out detailed investigations. Road closures are suspect not only as a public health response but as a part of their enforcement response.
“Our response is ongoing at the station and will be for some time. Cordons are in place and trains are not currently running through the area, and there are also some road closures.” – Chris Casey
David Horne, the Managing Director of LNER, thanked the emergency services for their quick response to the incident. He was especially touched by the focus on those who were hurt. He repeated his commitment to the safety of those in the corridor being the first priority as we navigate through this challenging period.
“I would like to thank the emergency services for their quick and professional response and the care they have provided to those injured.” – David Horne
As those investigations continue, BTP has been conducting emergency inquiry into what occurred during this awful incident. Officials have asked that people not jump to conclusions or offer opinions on what caused it until all the information was known.
“We’re conducting urgent enquiries to establish what has happened, and it could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything further.” – Chris Casey
Eyewitness accounts describing fleeing crowds depict a scene of terror as stampeding resilience turns deadly. One eyewitness described the true human spirit when people had an opportunity to run away from a threat.
“Essentially, as they got closer to him, started shouting, like, get down get down. He then was waving a knife, quite a large knife, and then they detained him.” – Gavin