Brave Train Employee Suffers Critical Injuries During Mass Knife Incident on Express Service
A brave train staff member who stepped in to protect passengers during a multiple knife attack on a express train has sustained life-threatening wounds, police stated on Sunday.
Particulars of the Frightening Incident
Surveillance footage allegedly depicts the employee trying to halt the assailant as the train journeyed between a city and Huntingdon in the county. Witnesses recounted a terrifying 14-minute period after the train departed Peterborough, with injured passengers running through carriages.
The individual, a 32-year-old citizen from Peterborough, is in detention for questioning. Authorities declared a major event on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in central London.
Emergency Response and Aftermath
The incident on Saturday night led to 11 people being cared for in medical facilities after the train made an unscheduled stop at platform 2 in Huntingdon. Several people have since been released from medical care.
A witness recorded the suspect brandishing a large knife and being subdued with a Taser as he confronted officers on the station. He was allegedly heard yelling, "End my life, kill me."
“This awful event has created broad consequences. My thoughts and those of everyone in British Transport Police are with those injured and their families – particularly the brave employee of train personnel whose relatives are being assisted by specialist officers,” stated a senior law enforcement official.
Labor Response and Calls for Measures
Train associations were swift to commend employees and call for more action. One union leader said he would be “requesting urgent discussions with government, rail employers and police to guarantee that we have the strongest possible assistance, resources and robust procedures in place”.
A different union representative encouraged the train operator and government “to move quickly to review safety, to support the affected employees, and to make sure nothing like this happens again”.
Operator Commended for Rapid Thinking
The operator who halted the service at Huntingdon was described as being “deeply affected” but “good”, and has been commended by union representatives for doing “precisely what was needed”.
“He didn’t halt the service in the middle of two stations where it’s clearly difficult for the first responders to access, but he continued going until he arrived to Huntingdon, where the response was pretty much waiting,” explained a union representative.
Additional Information
Police said they received the first distress calls at 7:39 pm, and the service was compelled to make an unplanned stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.
An observer described initially wondering if the situation was a Halloween joke, but soon realized from people's faces that it was serious.
Police have stated there is nothing to suggest the event was a terrorist attack and have requested the public to provide with any further details.
Train operations on the affected route are anticipated to experience delays until the following day, with travelers advised to defer their travel where possible.
Anyone with information that could help the inquiry are encouraged to contact authorities by sending a message a designated number with a reference code.