Paris: Several injured in stabbing attack at train station
Thursday, 12 January 2023 (00:31 IST)
French authorities responded to a stabbing attack on Wednesday morning at the Gare du Nord train station in Paris.
Gare du Nord is one of the busiest train stations in Paris, with trains to northern France as well as Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.
Police said several people were wounded in the attack and French Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin said that the suspect had been "neutralized." French media also reported earlier that the suspect had been shot and wounded by authorities.
The incident caused major delays in the movement of trains in the morning, according to railway operator SNCF (Societe Nationale de Chemins de Fer).
How the attack unfolded
Gerard Darmanin told reporters at the scene that the suspect injured six people, including a police officer, with a "bladed weapon" at around 6:43 a.m local time.
The officer was stabbed in the back by the assailant, but was saved by a bulletproof vest, Darmanin said. He said the unnamed assailant was currently "between life and death" in a hospital.
One of the victims was seriously injured in the shoulder blade and taken for emergency treatment. Darmanin thanked the police "for their effective and courageous reaction.''
Authorities did not state how many people were wounded, but French broadcaster BFM TV reported that at least six were hurt. Little is know about the motive of the attack.
Trains resume service
TER Hauts-de-France, a regional branch of the national railway network serving northern France, said that the person who attacked people in the train station was "brought under control, the emergency services intervened and the person evacuated."
Police have secured the area but trains continue to run normally, the regional rail operator added later in the morning.
The attack came nearly three weeks after a gunman opened fire in central Paris, killing three at a Kurdish cultural center, and injuring others in a restaurant and a hair salon. Officials said the attack was a racially-motivated assault.
