Knife rampage at Germany's Hamburg station leaves 18 injured; Suspect arrested, motive unclear

A knife attack at Hamburg’s central train station on Friday evening left at least 18 people injured, including several in critical condition, according to Germany's Bild newspaper. Local police confirmed that a 39-year-old woman was arrested shortly after the incident and is believed to have acted alone.

The attack unfolded around 6 PM between platforms 13 and 14, just as a high-speed ICE train stood at the platform with its doors open. The timing suggests the victims were likely boarding or exiting the train when they were targeted. The station, one of the busiest in Germany, was partially shut down following the incident, with four tracks closed and long-distance trains diverted.

Bild reported that four of the injured are in critical condition, while six others sustained serious injuries. Hamburg police, posting on social media platform X, stated that there were no “valid figures” available yet but confirmed that “several” individuals had life-threatening injuries.

Hamburg police spokesperson Florian Abbenseth stated, "So far we have no evidence that the woman could have acted with political motivation." He added, "Rather, we have findings on the basis of which we are now investigating in particular whether she may have been in a state of mental distress."

The motive behind the attack remains under investigation.

This incident follows another violent episode in Germany earlier this year. In February, a 24-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker drove a car into a crowd in Munich, injuring over 30 people just hours before the Munich Security Conference. That attack also drew national concern, as it occurred days before Germany’s federal election.