4 Injured After Man Attacks People With Axe On Germany Train, Suspect Detained

Last Updated:July 03, 2025, 21:38 IST

A man attacked and slightly injured four people with an axe on a train in southeast Germany's Bavaria on Thursday. He was detained by police.

A man attacked co-passengers on a train with an axe in Germany's Bavaria. (Reuters File)

A man attacked and slightly injured four people with an axe on a train in southeast Germany’s Bavaria on Thursday before he was detained, according to German police.

Local police in Straubing said the attack happened on a long-distance express train headed to the Austrian capital of Vienna while it was between Straubing and Plattling in southern Germany, as reported by the Washington Post.

Around 500 people were on the train when the suspect started attacking people with an axe. More than 150 police officers, firefighters and emergency personnel were deployed to the scene and the railway line was shut down.

Police initially said the perpetrator used an axe in the attack but later said he allegedly used a hammer and likely other weapons. The suspect was identified as a 20-year-old Syrian national, although further details about his identity and motive remained unclear.

The attacker was reportedly overpowered by fellow passengers and had also been injured. He “is probably somewhat more seriously injured," a police spokesperson told German news agency dpa. He was in police custody and receiving medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the four injured passengers were also taken to nearby hospitals. The Red Cross said a special care center was set up nearby to take care of passengers. Along with numerous rescue services and two helicopters, psychological caregivers were deployed to help those who were not injured but might have been traumatised.

German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said in a statement that “our thoughts and sympathy are with the injured and all those who now have to come to terms with what they have experienced," and thanked emergency services for the quick arrest of the suspect.

Germany has seen several violent attacks in the public in the last few months. A woman stabbed and injured more than a dozen people in Hamburg’s police station. Prior to that, a man drove his vehicle into a demonstration in Munich, killing two people.

Berlin, Germany

News world 4 Injured After Man Attacks People With Axe On Germany Train, Suspect Detained