A knife attack on a bus that sent shock waves in the city of Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia, in Germany, left five passengers injured on Friday evening. According to the local police, they have arrested a female individual in connection with the incident. Of the victims, three are in a life-threatening condition. This incident has caused concern, and though widely shared and reported, terror has been ruled out as a motive.
Details of the Attack
In a bus with at least 40 passengers, the attack took place by a woman who suddenly started stabbing people around her. Owing to the quick reaction of the local police, she was arrested on the spot. According to reports, three of the injured passengers are in critical condition while the remaining two were admitted with injuries not considered life-threatening. The police have assured the people that no more danger is expected from this incident.
The attacker, as reported by Bild, a German newspaper, is believed to be of German nationality. Although initial investigations tend to point in the direction of her having mental health problems and maybe even being under the influence of drugs, there’s little one can do with such reasoning behind rational or irrational attacks.
The incident comes only days after another deadly knife attack in Solingen, where the perpetrator – a 26-year-old Syrian man – was heard confessing to stabbing three people to death and injuring others during a local festival. German prosecutors linked the attacker to ISIS, which they cited, declaring “radical Islamist convictions” as the motive behind his actions.
The attack in Solingen that killed the two men and one woman stirred debates over immigration laws in Germany, as a number of opposition parties pushed for tougher measures against those committing such heinous crimes. The incident triggered an intense manhunt before the suspect turned himself in to the police.
The knife attack in Siegen is just another example of how dreadful it is when the suddenness of violence strikes and public places start becoming hotbeds of chaos. The motive behind the attack is still in the works, but the police in the locality managed to take swift action so that protection could be provided for the remaining passengers of the train. While Germany grapples with the aftermath of recent violent incidents, all eyes rest on the aspect of public security and determining the origins of such assaults.
