Eighteen injured in knife attack at Hamburg Central Station, woman in custody

Eighteen people were injured—several of them critically—after a knife attack at Hamburg's Central Station on the evening of May 23, prompting a major police operation and renewed public concern over violent incidents in Germany.

The attack occurred around 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT) between platforms 13 and 14 at the northern city's main railway hub, one of the busiest in the country, where over half a million people transit daily, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

A train was at one of the platforms when the incident unfolded. Some victims were treated inside train cars, according to local reports.

Hamburg police confirmed they had arrested a 39-year-old German woman at the scene. She remains in custody and is expected to appear in court on May 24. In a statement on X, police said several of the injured had life-threatening wounds. Photographs and video from the scene showed emergency personnel erecting barriers around the injured and escorting the suspect, hands behind her back, into a police vehicle.

Authorities believe the suspect acted alone and have ruled out a political motive. Speaking to reporters, police spokesperson Florian Abbenseth said the woman was likely “in a state of mental distress.” The homicide division is investigating the case, including the suspect’s mental state and possible motive.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the attack "shocking" and thanked emergency responders for their swift action. Rail operator Deutsche Bahn closed four platforms at the station, warning travellers of delays and service diversions.

This incident is the latest in a string of violent attacks in Germany in recent months. Just days before, an 11-year-old boy was stabbed by his classmate in Berlin. In January, a two-year-old child and a 41-year-old man were killed in a stabbing at a park in Aschaffenburg. A Spanish tourist was stabbed near Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial in February. Last December, a car rammed into crowds at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing six and injuring hundreds.

Unlike the previous cases, where suspects were migrants and led to intensified border checks and a political backlash over immigration, the Hamburg attacker is a German national, and authorities emphasise the absence of political motivation.

By Tamilla Hasanova