‘He was grabbing him and stabbing’: Witness describes horror knife attack on train
A man is suffering from life-threatening injuries after he was stabbed on a moving train yesterday afternoon in an attack a witness described as “terrifying”.
The victim remains in hospital and his family have been informed, the British Transport Police (BTP) said. No arrests have been made at this stage.
The stabbing took place at around 4pm on a train traveling between Shortlands and Beckenham, towards London Victoria.
A 33-year-old woman from Dulwich – who did not want to be named – was on the train to visit her aunt in Beckenham when a fight broke out between two men in her carriage.
She said: “I heard them mumbling and then he started waving around this huge knife and stabbed him.
“He pushed him down on to the floor and was grabbing him and stabbing him over and over again.”
The witness said both the men were black and looked like they were in their 20s.
She said: “It was terrifying. He was on the floor, I couldn’t see if he was alive.
“I got off the train because I was so scared but the last thing I saw was him on the floor and his feet weren’t moving.”
The woman recorded the incident on her phone. A man in a black puffer jacket, with the hood up and his face covered with a face mask can be seen wielding a knife against a man lying on the floor.
A snapback hat and mobile phone are strewn on the floor nearby. Other passengers in the carriage can be heard gasping and shouting at the attacker to stop.
The London Ambulance Service said it sent ambulance crews, an incident response officer and London’s Air Ambulance to the scene.
A spokeswoman said: “We treated a man at the scene before taking him to a London major trauma centre.”
The witness, who has a seven-year-old son, said: “I’m scared to live here seeing how London is becoming.”
Assistant Chief Constable Allan Gregory said: “This is an incredibly concerning incident which took place in front of other passengers in broad daylight.
“Overnight and into Thursday, there will be an enhanced police presence at stations in the area as officers continue to carry out extensive enquiries.
“We do not believe that there is any risk to the wider public. However, we are urging people to come forward with any information that may help us. Please text 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 397 of 27 March.
“To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is not part of the police but an independent charity working to stop crime around the UK.”
Pictured top: Pictures taken from the video showing the attacker holding a large knife as the victim lays on the floor (Picture: The witness)