Knife attack on German train kills 2, injures 7

© Florian Sprenger/EPA-EFE Two people were killed and seven were injured in a knife attack on a train in Germany, according to the Schleswig-Holstein state's interior minister Sabine Suetterlin-Waack. Photo by Florian Sprenger/EPA-EFE

Jan. 25 (UPI) -- A knife attack on a train in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein has left two people dead and seven wounded, according to the state's interior minister.

The attack happened on a train traveling from Kiel to Hamburg as it approached the town of Brokstedt at around 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The German outlet BILD reported that the suspect had self-inflicted injuries on his hands when he was detained.

Police said they detained a young man, between the ages of 20 and 40, suspected of carrying out the attack, and that he was not believed to be on any extremism watchlists.

"We have not yet been able to say anything about the background to the crime, we are in the process of getting an overview of the entire area of operations," said Astrid Heidorn, a police spokesperson.

"We're really shocked and appalled that something like this happened," said Schleswig-Holstein interior minster Sabine Suetterlin-Waack.

Train service was suspended along the route and the train station was blocked off by police.

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