Subway Platform Stabbing At Oxford Circus, One Passenger Critical After Rush Hour Attack

London, United Kingdom— A passenger was stabbed multiple times on the northbound Bakerloo line platform at Oxford Circus station at 5:35 p.m. Monday, leaving him in critical condition and triggering a panicked evacuation during rush hour.

British Transport Police said the attack followed an argument between two men on the platform. Witnesses said one man bumped the other while exiting a crowded carriage, words were exchanged, and a knife was drawn. The victim was stabbed in the chest and abdomen.

The suspect fled up the escalators and out onto Oxford Street. Paramedics treated the victim on the platform floor before rushing him to St Mary’s Hospital Major Trauma Centre. Doctors listed him in critical but stable condition overnight.

"Everyone screamed and ran back into the train. Blood was on the platform edge. Staff shouted to move away," said a commuter who was waiting three meters away and pulled the emergency alarm.

Officers closed the station for two hours, suspending Bakerloo and Victoria line services. Forensic teams cordoned the platform and recovered a folding knife near the tracks. CCTV from the station and a nearby bus was seized.

"This appears to be a spontaneous altercation, not terrorism. We have clear images of the suspect and are working with the Met to identify him," Det. Inspector Sarah Patel of British Transport Police said at a press conference.

Knife crime on the London Underground has risen in the past year, prompting more patrols and weapons sweeps. Transport for London said it would increase staff presence at Oxford Circus during peak hours.

The victim, a 29-year-old man from south London, has not been publicly identified. His family was notified and is at the hospital.

Police released a description of a male in his 20s wearing a grey hoodie and black cap and asked for any mobile phone footage from the platform between 5:30 and 5:40 p.m.

The station reopened at 7:45 p.m. with officers still on the concourse interviewing witnesses.