Man stabs two on Taichung metro, stopped by passengers

Taipei, May 21 (CNA) A man stabbed and injured two people on a Taichung Mass Rapid Transit (TMRT) train before being stopped by other passengers on Tuesday, according to police.

A witness told CNA that the man put his bag down and suddenly pulled out a knife and attacked the man closest to him.

After that knife was snatched away, the man took out another knife, but other passengers on the train rushed to stop him, with some hitting him in the head and another prying open his hand to take the knife away.

The Taichung City Government Fire Bureau said they received a report that many people were wounded at Taichung City Hall Station at 11:17 a.m. and dispatched several ambulances to the station.

In all, three people were injured, including the attacker, the bureau said.

A 17-year-old suffered from cuts on his chest, shoulder and arm, while another 27-year-old man had a 15-centimeter slash stretching from his cheek to his jaw.

The attacker had finger wounds.

After he was subdued by passengers and reported to Taichung City Hall station staff, the attacker was taken to the hospital under police surveillance, according to a statement by the Taichung City Police Department's 6th Precinct.

One kitchen knife and two fruit knives were also recovered from the scene, the precinct said.

After the incident, the TMRT announced that two-way traffic between the Wenxin Chongde and Wenxin Yinghua stations would be merged on one track, leading to delays, while operations at Taichung City Hall Station were suspended.

Full service involving those stations had yet to be restored as of early Tuesday afternoon.