London: Ten people were injured, nine of them critically, following a mass stabbing on a London-bound train on Saturday evening. Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the attack.

The incident occurred shortly after 7.30 pm local time on a train travelling from Doncaster in northeast England to London King’s Cross, one of the country’s busiest rail routes.

“There was blood everywhere”

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as passengers tried to flee the carriage. One witness told The Times that a man was seen carrying a large knife, saying there was “blood everywhere.”

Passengers reportedly hid in lavatories or tried to escape down the train as panic spread.

“People hid in the lavatories to escape, and some were getting stamped on by others as they tried to run,” the eyewitness said.

“I heard some people shouting, ‘We love you’,” they added.

Another witness told Sky News he saw a man moving through the carriage saying, “They have got a knife; I have been stabbed.”

A third passenger told the BBC that he initially thought the commotion was “a night-after-Halloween prank” until he heard people shouting, “Run, run, there’s a guy literally stabbing everyone.”

Police Investigation Underway

The British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed that counterterrorism officers were assisting with the investigation to determine the motive and circumstances of the attack.

“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,” said Chief Superintendent Chris Casey of the BTP.

“At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.”

PM Starmer Calls It an “Appalling Incident”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the stabbing as an “appalling incident.”

“My thoughts are with all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services for their response,” Starmer said in a post on X. “Anyone in the area should follow the advice of the police,” he added.

Emergency services continue to treat the injured, and the investigation remains ongoing.