A 69-year-old woman was stabbed while sitting on a train from Antwerp-Central station to Leuven on Thursday morning. She is currently fighting for her life.
The stabbing incident occurred at the city's busiest train station at around 11:20, the Federal Police confirmed. The victim, a 69-year-old woman, has been taken to hospital but is in mortal danger. Additionally, two witnesses required medical attention after experiencing shock.
A suspect was later apprehended by SNCB security officers at the station with the help of people who witnessed the incident.
The Federal Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the stabbing, which until now remain unclear. To help the investigation, the police have cordoned off platform 12 on level -1, where the stabbing incident took place.
Second incident in one week
This stabbing of a person on a train, which is normally a very rare occurrence in Belgium, is the second in just one week.
A person was stabbed on board an SNCB train bound for Eupen while the vehicle was travelling between Brussels-Central and Brussels-North stations on Monday. The victim was stabbed multiple times in his neck and hand.
His life is now no longer at risk but he will have to remain in hospital and cannot work for 14 days. The suspect in this knife attack, a 27-year-old man, was immediately arrested by local police when the train pulled into the Brussels-North station, with investigators confiscating a pocket knife.
He had a record of suffering from psychiatric problems, the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office announced on Wednesday. The investigation into this crime continues and is currently being conducted by the federal police's railway police.
