Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said several people were injured after a person released smoke bombs at a Taipei subway station and attacked bystanders, according to a report by Reuters citing comments made by the leader on his Facebook page on Friday.
The attack on Friday involving smoke bombs and stabbing killed at least two people, a fire department official told AFP.
“Three people were confirmed dead, including the suspect,” the Taipei City Fire Department official told the news portal, without sharing further details of the attack.
It has been suspected that the attacker has killed himself, the Reuters report quoted the official Central News Agency. The motive of the attack remains unclear so far.
The attacker threw smoke grenades at the Taipei Main subway station, close to the city's primary train station, AP reported.
The suspect took the subway for one stop, got off, threw additional smoke grenades onto the street, then pulled out a knife and stabbed passersby, the news portal reported, citing footage carried by broadcaster EBC.
Cho Jung-ta mentioned that one of the injured was a pedestrian who fell after an attack and was already in cardiac arrest before hospitalisation. Another individual sustained respiratory injuries due to the smoke, it added.
The Taiwanese Premier further noted that he has requested the police to increase security in train and subway stations across the island.
After allegedly throwing a smoke grenade in MRT Taipei Main Station at around 5 pm on Friday, the man later stabbed seven people, injuring three seriously, near MRT Zhongshan Station, Taiwanese media reported.
Following the grenade incident, a man in his 50s was quickly taken to the hospital after experiencing cardiac arrest. Despite efforts to revive him, he was later declared dead.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an on Friday evening said that the suspect moved north and assaulted people at Eslite Spectrum Nanxi near MRT Zhongshan Station, resulting in seven injuries.
Chiang informed reporters that the suspect was a Taiwanese man born in 1998, who is believed to have subsequently jumped to his death, without sharing further details.
