Germany: 18 Injured in Mass Stabbing at Train Station

At least 18 people have been injured, some seriously, after a "mass stabbing" at a major German railway station.

Police in Hamburg launched a "major operation" after the attacks on Friday afternoon, which saw a 39-year-old woman unleash what officers believe was a random spree against commuters.

The woman was arrested at the scene, police later confirmed. "Based on the information so far, we believe she acted alone. Investigations into the background are in full swing," they said.

Later on Friday, police said there was "no evidence of a political motivation".

German outlet Bild reports that the woman is German, known to the police, "known to be mentally ill and has previously spent time in a psychiatric hospital".

Images from the scene showed a man being carried away by paramedics on a stretcher near the station, passengers sporting bloody injuries and blood all over the platforms.

Crowds of people could be seen looking on as dozens of emergency services personnel and vehicles stand outside the major transport hub.

One witness at the scene told local newspaper Abendblatt: "Luckily I didn't have headphones on, so I heard everyone screaming right away... And then they all ran away."

According to local broadcaster NDR, Hamburg's fire department says that three people have been critically injured, three have been seriously injured, and six were "slightly injured".

That brought the total from an initial estimate of eight up to 12. This was later revised to 18.

Further reports from the scene suggest the incident took place at Hamburg station's platform 13 and 14 - with images from the platform showing at least 12 police officers and a cordon in place.

Some of those injured were treated on trains, while a Red Cross "crisis intervention team" has arrived to assist the victims' relatives.

The incident on Friday follows a long list of mass stabbing attacks across Germany and Western Europe.

This year alone, five people were injured in a violent spree in Dutch capital Amsterdam - while a teenage boy was killed in a similar attack by a 23-year-old Syrian in Austria three months ago.