A 47-year-old man is facing attempted murder charges after a group of women were randomly attacked and pushed onto the tracks at a Melbourne train station on Sunday.
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The alleged rampage could have easily turned fatal, police said, after the man used a large kitchen knife to slice a woman's handbag during the mid-morning ordeal.
When the knife broke, police allege the man attacked train passengers who were waiting at Glenhuntly station, reportedly as a train was approaching, and began pushing them off the platform.
"It is alleged the man assaulted five women," a police spokeswoman said.
Police had earlier said at least four women had been pushed onto the tracks.
One witness, Annabelle Jiles, told Seven News how people then tried to help the injured women.
"It was just random, really really random. Very bizarre," she said of the attack.
Witnesses speak with police after a man attacked 4 people at #Glenhuntly, including a woman in her 80's.. #7NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/MKOBpRXRMU
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) November 27, 2016
Paramedics arrived about 11.15am and treated the injured, including two women in their 80s with leg and hip injuries and a woman in her 70s with facial injuries.
A woman in her late teens suffered cuts, abrasions and was treated for shock.
Three of the women remained in The Alfred hospital on Sunday night, where they were listed in a stable condition.
Another witness, Kelly Wang, said a train was close to the station when the women were shoved onto the tracks.
The man appeared calm and did not say anything, she said.
"I could get away but the lady couldn't, so he threw the ladies onto the tracks," she told ABC News.
"I hid near the rubbish bin and then saw the man go into the station and catch another lady."
Witness Kelly says man pushed a woman onto tracks, right in the path of an oncoming train.. #glenhuntly #7NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/Mv4gUfQl98
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) November 27, 2016
Victoria Police Sergeant Jason Venturoni said the ordeal was over in 90 seconds.
"It was horrific for those involved," he told reporters.
"It was a very, very serious incident and could have resulted in the death of these ladies."
Police were still trying to piece together an alleged motive for the attack, he said.
A 47-year-old man from Carnegie was arrested at the scene and questioned about the incident.
He was later charged with four counts of attempted murder, intentionally causing serious injury, affray and making threats to kill.
He was remanded in custody for his first court appearance in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday.
- with AAP, Adam Carey