Smoke Bomb Chaos: Knife Attacker Kills 3 in Taiwan Metro
Three people were killed and nine injured in a rare Taipei metro knife attack after smoke bombs caused panic during rush hour, officials say.
At least three people were killed and nine others injured in a knife attack in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.
Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai said the 27-year-old suspect threw smoke bombs at Taipei's main metro station, then ran towards another station in a busy shopping district, stabbing people along the way.
Cho added that the suspect, identified by authorities as a Taiwanese man named Chang Wen, later died after falling from a multi-story building. His motive is not yet known.
Such attacks are rare in Taiwan, which has a low rate of violent crime. The last similar incident occurred in Taipei more than a decade ago, in 2014.
Friday's attack took place at approximately 5:20 pm local time (09:20 GMT) during the city's evening rush hour.
Videos shared on social media show people running in panic, while a man wearing a baseball cap and dark clothing throws smoke bombs on a busy street.
He can then be seen walking past several cars carrying a large knife.
Cho said the suspect had thrown smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails at Taipei Main Station, which is connected to a busy underground shopping street.
One man reportedly tried to stop the attacker but was struck with a heavy object and later died in the hospital.
The suspect then fled through an underground shopping center towards the nearby Zhongshan Station, about 800 meters away.
After a brief stop at his hotel, where he retrieved a weapon, he ran back out onto the street near Zhongshan Station and threw more smoke bombs. He then stabbed more people.
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The attacker entered a nearby bookstore and department store but fell from the building after being surrounded by police. He died shortly afterward in the hospital. Cho said he has ordered increased security at metro and railway stations, as well as airports, in response to the attack.
According to Reuters news agency, the Taiwanese premier said, "We will investigate the [suspect's] background and related connections to understand his motive and determine if there are any other contributing factors."
Taiwanese President William Lai also pledged a swift investigation.
According to local media reports, the suspect had a criminal record and was being sought by authorities. The last major incident of this kind occurred in 2014, when a man killed four people on a subway train in Taipei, shocking the Taiwanese public. The perpetrator of that attack was executed two years later.
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