Police detained a 19-year-old student after the attack in Ostrołęka, while authorities closed local schools and investigated his motive.
OSTROŁĘKA, Poland — Ten people were injured Wednesday in a knife attack at a vocational school in northeastern Poland, including a 19-year-old student detained as the suspect, regional officials said. Nine people were taken to hospitals, and authorities said none had life-threatening injuries.
The attack took place at Vocational School Complex No. 4 in Ostrołęka at about 11 a.m. local time. Early reports gave lower injury totals as emergency crews and police worked to determine how many people had been hurt. Masovian Regional Governor Mariusz Frankowski later said the injured included five students, two teachers, two bystanders and the 19-year-old suspect.
Police said the suspect was a student at the school and was accused of attacking people with a machete. Authorities detained him about 20 minutes after the attack in an area near the municipal beach, several hundred meters from the school. The suspect was also injured and received medical treatment after his arrest. Officials have not released his name, and no motive had been established Wednesday.
Students took steps to protect themselves as the attack unfolded. A fire brigade spokesperson told Polish state television that some students barricaded themselves inside classrooms before the building was evacuated. Students and staff were later removed from the school, and police psychologists were made available to students affected by the incident.
Polish outlet RMF24 reported that four students, two teachers and two bystanders were among eight people injured directly in the attack. That count did not include all of the people later identified by regional authorities. Prosecutors said one of the injured victims had suffered serious wounds but was not believed to be in danger of dying. The changing totals reflected information released as authorities continued checking hospitals and reconstructing what happened.
Investigators also focused on a backpack the suspect had brought to the school. Police called bomb disposal specialists to examine it after it was secured outside the building. Reuters reported that police confirmed specialists were checking the bag but had not said whether anything dangerous had been found. Authorities did not immediately connect the backpack to a broader threat.
Local reporting said the suspect left the school after the attack and injured two adult bystanders while fleeing. Police began an immediate search and detained him shortly afterward. Emergency responders transported victims to hospitals in Ostrołęka and nearby Łomża. Officials said those taken for treatment were conscious when emergency crews transported them.
The attack prompted officials to tighten security across Ostrołęka. A city spokesperson said all schools in the city were closed and that students were safe. Mayor Paweł Niewiadomski said the situation had been brought under control and directed other city-run schools to prevent unauthorized people from entering their grounds while authorities responded to the incident.
Police and prosecutors were continuing to interview witnesses, examine evidence and establish the sequence of events Wednesday. Authorities had not announced a motive or detailed any criminal charges against the 19-year-old suspect. Investigators were also awaiting the results of the examination of his backpack as they worked to determine what led to the attack.