A practice is parked on the station after a mass stabbing on a London-bound practice in Huntingdon, England, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025.
Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
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Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
LONDON — British police dismissed hypothesis on Sunday {that a} mass stabbing assault on a London-bound practice the earlier night was terrorism-related and mentioned two individuals who have been wounded stay in a life-threatening situation.
Police additionally mentioned that two males, born in the UK, stay in custody at separate police stations. They have been arrested eight minutes after the primary emergency calls have been made at 7:42 p.m. from aboard the practice, the place passengers had reported scenes of panic and chaos with many working via the carriages and a few searching for security within the bogs.
“This is a shocking incident and my thoughts are with those who have been injured and their families,” British Transport Police Superintendent John Loveless mentioned outdoors the station in Huntingdon in jap England the place the practice halted quickly after the assault.
“There is nothing to suggest this is a terrorist incident,” he added.
The 2 arrested stay in custody, he mentioned, including that one is a 32-year-old Black British man, the opposite is a 35-year-old man of Caribbean descent. The connection of the 2 suspects was not revealed, nor was the kind of knife, or knives, used.
Loveless additionally gave an replace on the wounded, decreasing the quantity in life-threatening situation from 9 to 2. He mentioned 4 of them have been discharged and that one different particular person arrived on the hospital, taking the general quantity handled to 11.
After its emergency cease in Huntingdon, a market city round 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of London, bloodied and confused passengers spilled out of the practice. Dozens of police waited, a few of them armed, and the 2 suspects have been rapidly arrested, Loveless mentioned.
Through the speedy response to the assault, police mentioned that “Plato,” the nationwide code phrase utilized by police and emergency providers when responding to what might be a “marauding terror attack,” was initiated. That declaration was later rescinded however no motive for the assault has been disclosed.
“At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident,” Loveless mentioned.
The assault happened because the 6:25 p.m. practice from Doncaster in northern England to London’s King’s Cross station was about midway via its two-hour journey, having simply departed from a cease at Peterborough.
Passenger Olly Foster informed the BBC he heard individuals shouting “run, run, there’s a guy literally stabbing everyone,” and initially thought it may need been a Halloween prank — Saturday was the day after Halloween. However as passengers pushed previous him to get away, he observed his hand was coated in blood from a chair he had leaned on.
Following studies that a few of these on board the practice put themselves in hurt’s solution to defend others, Dwelling Secretary Shabana Mahmood praised the “exceptional bravery of staff and passengers on the train.”
King Charles III mentioned he and his spouse, Queen Camilla, despatched their sympathies and ideas to these affected and that they have been “truly appalled and shocked to hear of the dreadful knife attack.”
London North Japanese Railway, or LNER, which operates the East Coast Mainline providers within the U.Ok., confirmed the incident had occurred on one in every of its trains and mentioned there can be main disruption on the route till Monday.
British Transport Police’s Loveless mentioned passengers will see a “high visibility presence of police officers at stations and on trains” on Sunday.
