Crew on Paris-bound train barricaded themselves in their staffroom and locked the door as Kalashnikov-wielding terrorist went on the rampage – leaving PASSENGERS to take him down
- Train staff on board train which was the scene of a foiled terrorist attack accused of abandoning passengers
- A man named in reports as Ayoub el-Qahzzani opened fire on train which had more than 550 passengers on board
- He was arrested by police at a train station in Arras and was initially taken to hospital but is now in custody
- The 26-year-old Moroccan national is a suspected radical Islamist who was known to security services
- Air Force airman Spencer Stone ran at the gunman when he opened fire on the high speed service to Paris
- Was on the train with friend Oregon National Guard member Alek Skarlatos, 22, who was travelling through Europe
- With the help of Anthony Sadler, from California, and British national Chris Norman, they stopped the attack
- Three people, including Stone, wounded in the attack and French police have hailed the bravery of the bystanders
- French media report the man denies being a terrorist and instead claims he wanted to carry out an armed robbery
- Also claims he wanted to ransom off passengers and he found the weapons in a bag 'by chance in a Brussels Park'
Train
staff on board the high speed train which was the scene of a suspected
Islamic extremist attack yesterday have been accused of barricading
themselves in their staffroom and locking the door, leaving passengers
to fend for themselves.
The
Moroccan terrorist was disarmed and beaten unconscious by US servicemen
and a British man after he opened fire on a Paris-bound train with a
Kalashnikov.
Now,
French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade, who was on board the Thalys train
during the attack has slammed train staff who he claims locked
themselves in an office away from the attacker and refused to help the
trapped passengers.
The 26-year-old Moroccan national, who
was known to security services, got on the train in Brussels and
attempted his attack soon after crossing the French border. He was
beaten unconscious by three men on board
Video
footage of the aftermath has emerged, showing what appears to be the
gunman lying on the floor (right) with his hands and feet tied up with
t-shirts. A man (left) is seen on the ground with a head injury
A police forensic officer walks along a
platform next to the Thalys train which was the scene of a suspected
terrorist attack yesterday
French forensic police officers wearing protective suits inspect the crime scene on bord the Thalys train following the incident
French police officers patrol Gare du
Nord train station in Paris one day after the foiled terror attack on a
train heading towards the city
The actor told Paris Match: 'We heard screaming passengers in English, 'He shoots! He shoots! He has a Kalashnikov!''
The
actor, who was travelling with his two children and his girlfriend,
said: 'Suddenly, members of the crew ran into the hallway and their
faces were pale.'
He
said the staff hurried towards their own car on the train and opened it
'with a special key' before they locked themselves inside.
Mr
Anglade claims he and other passengers banged on the door and shouted
at staff to open up, but their cries for help were ignored.
He said: 'Nobody replied, there was radio silence. It was terrible and unbearable, it was inhumane.
'The minutes seemed like hours and protected my children with my whole body, telling them everything was fine.'
The French Interior Minister said this afternoon that the train attacker is suspected to be a radical Islamist.
US
airman Spencer Stone, who on board the train during the attack, spotted
the 26-year-old Moroccan acting suspiciously and heard him trying to
load his weapon in the toilet.
He
was travelling with Oregon National Guard member Alek Skarlatos, 22,
who was on leave and travelling through Europe at the time after
returning from a tour in Afghanistan.
With
the help of their friend Anthony Sadler, from Pittsburg, California,
and fellow passenger British IT consultant Chris Norman, they managed to
wrestle the attacker to the ground, stopping what could have been a
deadly terrorist attack.
Mr Sadler has described how the attacker pleaded with them to return his AK-47.
He
said: 'He was just telling us to give back his gun. 'Give me back my
gun! Give me back my gun!' But we just carried on beating him up and
immobilised him and that was it.'
The
men have since been commended for their bravery by President Barack
Obama and French President Francois Hollande has tweeted that he will
meet the men tomorrow to thank them.
Meanwhile British Prime Minister David Cameron has also praised the four men for their actions.
A
No 10 spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister praised the extraordinary
courage of the passengers who intervened and helped disarm the gunman,
including the British consultant Chris Norman.
'The bravery of Mr Norman and the other passengers helped to prevent a terrible incident.'
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