Following a reported knife attack during a London-bound train movement, ten people were injured and taken to the hospital, with nine of those victims believed to have life-threatening injuries.
Witnesses reported that police used a Taser on one man who was holding a knife, while two people were arrested, and counter-terror police have joined the investigation.
According to the BBC, the attack took place on the 18:25 GMT London North Eastern Railway (LNER) service from Doncaster to London’s King’s Cross station.
Passengers reported that at least one person, brandishing a knife, began stabbing people on the train shortly after it passed through Peterborough in Cambridgeshire.
Police received calls from passengers on board at around 19:40, alerting them to the attack.
The train made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon, a 15-minute train ride from Peterborough by train.
Armed police then boarded the train and arrested two people, whose identities are not yet known.
A large emergency service response was deployed to the scene, including air support ambulances.
BBC reported that the incident was estimated to last roughly 10 to 15 minutes.
The uninjured passengers were interviewed by police, and some boarded a coach bound for London.
As of the time of filing this report, the identities of the victims have yet to be disclosed.
British Transport Police (BTP) declared a major incident and said counter-terrorism officers were supporting the investigation “to establish the full circumstances and motivation for this incident”.
Ch Supt Chris Casey said: “We’re conducting urgent enquiries to establish what has happened, and it could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything further.
“At this early stage, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.”
The force said it had at one point declared “Plato” – the national code word used by emergency services when responding to a “marauding terror attack” – but later rescinded it.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the “appalling incident on a train near Huntingdon is deeply concerning”.
He wrote on X: “My thoughts are with all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services for their response.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was receiving regular updates on the investigation and urged people to “avoid comment and speculation at this early stage”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she was “deeply disturbed by the reports emerging from Huntingdon”.
“This is an absolutely horrific attack, and my thoughts are with all those affected, including the emergency responders at the scene.”
