 |
| Frankfurt Main Train station |
An
8-year-old boy was killed on Monday when a man shoved him in front of a
moving train entering Frankfurt's main station, German police said.
The
boy's mother was also pushed from the platform, but was able to roll to the
side and save herself.
According to police, witnesses said the attacker
also tried to push another person onto the tracks as the Intercity Express
train was approaching, but the would-be victim managed to avoid falling
onto the track.
The suspect was chased through the station by passengers who
managed to tackle him to the ground. Police later confirmed a 40-year-old
African man had been arrested.
The incident happened at about 10am on Monday on platform seven
of the station, which is one of Germany’s busiest. The boy’s mother was being
treated for shock, according to a police spokeswoman.
German law enforcement authorities said the 40-year-old
man did not know the victims, and has so far refused to speak about his motive.
Police said that an investigation is underway, and video footage of the
incident will be examined.
The suspect initially fled the scene and managed to exit
the station, but by-standers held him up outside the building.
The
killing prompted a "massive [police] deployment" at Frankfurt's
central train station, a police spokeswoman said. Firefighters were
also at the scene. Authorities closed six of the platforms for several
hours, causing train delays and cancellations.
Commenting
on the incident, the premier of the state of Hesse, Volker Bouffier, said he
was "stunned" by the "revolting act."
The
two incidents are likely to trigger a debate over increasing security at German
train stations. On Tuesday, Martin Burkert, a Social Democrat (SPD)
focusing on transport policy, told Germany's mass circulation newspaper Bild that
there was not enough supervision on Germany's train platforms, and that train
stations lacked enough police.
With Agency Reports
