LONDON — Ten people were injured in a stabbing attack on a train that connects London to the north of England on Saturday night, authorities said.
Nine suffered life-threatening injuries while a 10th victim was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the British Transport Police said in a statement early Sunday.
“There have been no fatalities,” the agency said.
The U.K.-wide Counter Terrorism Policing agency said it is assisting with the investigation being led by transport police.
The British Transport Police said they hope to discover the “full circumstances and motivation” for the attack, which was “declared a major incident.”
“At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident,” British Transport Police Chief Superintendent Chris Casey said in the statement.
Police and medics rushed to a station in Huntingdon, northwest of Cambridge, where the train was stopped following a report of stabbings at 7:42 p.m. GMT (3:42 p.m. ET), according to transport police and social media video of the aftermath.
The Cambridgeshire Police, which patrols the area, arrested two people at the scene in connection with the incident, authorities said. The suspects were not immediately identified and any allegations against them were not given.
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said it scrambled numerous ambulances, tactical commanders, a hazardous response team, and two helicopters to transport “multiple patients” to the hospital.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the violence “appalling” and “deeply concerning” and said, “My thoughts are with all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services for their response.”
The London North Eastern Railway (LNER) issued a “Do Not Travel” alert for the line on Saturday. The train operating company said some lines remained closed Sunday and some services could be canceled or delayed.
LNER Managing Director David Horne said in an update early Sunday that staff was “shocked and saddened” by the attack, and he thanked emergency services for their quick response.
“The safety and wellbeing of everyone affected will remain our priority,” Horne said. “We will continue to do everything we can to support our customers and colleagues during this difficult time.”
The British Transport Police said the train was the 6:25 p.m. GMT (2:25 p.m. ET) service from Doncaster in the north of England to London King’s Cross. Huntingdon is about 77 miles north of London.
Dennis Romero reported from San Diego and Jamie Gray from London.
