Commuters tackle rampaging ‘axeman’ on German express train

Police and forensics teams investigating an ICE train.
Passengers surrounded and tackled the axe-wielding man (Picture: AP)

Train passengers bravely tackled an axe-wielding man attacking people on a busy train in Germany.

At least four people were injured during the rampage on a packed high-speed train travelling from Hamburg to Vienna.

The attack began just before 2pm local time (1pm in the UK) as the Deutsche Bahn train hurtled through the village of Straßkirchen in Bavaria.

Passengers surrounded the alleged attacker and managed to wrestle one of his weapons off him, using it to then stop the attack, according to Bild.

The train ground to a halt on open track between Straubing and Plattling allowing police to arrest a suspect.

The attacker, who was reportedly also carrying a hammer, suffered serious injuries as he was subdued.

Man attacks train passengers with axe in Germany Stra?kirchen in the Straubing-Bogen district
The train was passing Straßkirchen when the attack unfolded and the emergency breaks were pulled (Picture: Created with Datawrapper)

The suspect is believed to be a 20-year-old man from Syria.

Four passengers, out of 500 in the train, were injured, three moderately and one lightly, according to the Bavarian Red Cross.

Three of the victims are Syrian nationals aged between 15 und 51 years old, with the fourth being a 38-year-old man of unknown nationality.

150 personnel across seven ambulances, two emergency response vehicles, two rescue helicopters and seven rapid response teams.

Bavarian Red Cross spokesperson Sohrab Taheri-Sohi said: ‘As a result of a violent incident on an ICE train, a major emergency service and disaster control operation was initiated. (…)

‘According to current information, several people were injured as a result of the violent incident: One person suffered serious injuries, three others suffered moderate injuries, and another person suffered minor injuries.’

A spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn said: ‘Our thoughts and sympathy are with the injured and all those who now have to come to terms with what they have experienced.’

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