A knifeman who ran amok at a London train station, stabbing at least one victim, shouted ‘kill all Muslims’ during his rampage, witnesses have said.
A man was injured during the attack at Forest Hill station in south-east London this afternoon and is currently being treated in hospital.
Witnesses said the man was waving his arm around in the air and shouting ‘Death to Muslims’ as he ‘marched up and down’ outside the station after the attack.
Miguel Oliveira, 36, said he came ‘face-to-face’ with the attacker, who was ‘shouting uncontrollably’ after he allegedly stabbed a man.
Mr Oliveira, a composer, said he was met with a ‘wave of people’ when he arrived at the station shortly after 1pm following the incident.
He said: ‘The first few were shouting ‘he’s got a knife, he’s got a knife’ and then all of a sudden the next ones said ‘Oh he’s been stabbed, call the police’.’
He added that some members of the crowd were shouting: ‘He wants to kill Muslims’.
Mr Oliveira left the station but returned a few minutes later amid confusion over the whereabouts of the attacker.
He said: ‘I doubled back and I went back to the station and actually came face-to-face with him.
‘He had just come out – not the way they were saying. He was walking towards me and he was shouting stuff like ‘Death to Muslims’ and ‘Go back to Syria’.’
Eyewitness Richard Etienne was on the train to Forest Hill when he was confronted by the attacker.
Several people phoned the police, who arrived around ten minutes later and restrained the man, Miss Curry said.
‘I was walking along and someone stopped and said ‘be careful, he’s got a knife’. As I looked around there he was.
‘I just grabbed my baby and ran across the road. Looking back [I saw] him marching up and down waving his arm about.’
Witness Richard Etienne tweeted: ‘Those in the Forest Hill area stay alert. I’ve just seen a man brandishing a knife claiming he will ‘kill all Muslims’. Police alerted.’
Another witness added: ‘A massacre in Forest Hill station a man shouting ‘who is Muslim? I want to kill a Muslim?’ stabs several times a Muslim passenger, no reason.’
A British Transport Police spokesman said: ‘We are currently at Forest Hill railway station, after being called to a serious assault at 1.18pm.
‘One person has been arrested following the incident and is currently in police custody.
‘One man was treated by ambulance staff at the scene and is currently en route to hospital.
‘We are investigating the circumstances of the Forest Hill incident, but at this time we are not treating it as terrorism-related.’
