Multiple people seriously injured in knife attack at Hamburg Central Station

Several people have sustained life-threatening injuries in a knife attack at Hamburg Central Station on Friday evening, according to local authorities.

The incident occurred around 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT) between platforms 13 and 14 of the northern German city's main railway station. Police confirmed that 18 people were injured in the attack.

A 39-year-old German woman was arrested at the scene and remains in police custody. She is expected to appear in court on Saturday. Officials have launched a major investigation into the incident, with the homicide division now involved.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Hamburg Police said several of the victims were in critical condition. Emergency responders treated some of the injured passengers inside trains at the station.

Speaking to reporters, police spokesperson Florian Abbenseth stated that the suspect appeared to have acted alone and that there was currently no indication of a political motive. Authorities believe the woman may have been suffering from "mental distress" at the time of the attack.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the attack as “shocking” and praised emergency services for their swift response.

The station was partially evacuated while investigations were carried out. It remains unclear how the attacker gained access to the weapon or how the incident unfolded in detail.

The motive behind the attack is still under investigation.