London: Three nurses from Kerala came under violent attack from a knife-wielding woman on a bus in London on Sunday morning. The incident is being investigated as a possible racist assault.
According to Mathrubhumi English, the victims have been identified as Sobi from Madappally in Pathanamthitta; Daisy, also from Pathanamthitta; and Akshitha, from Punalur. All three are working as nurses in the UK.
The attack reportedly occurred around 7.30 am (GMT) while the women were travelling by bus from Croydon to their workplace. A local woman allegedly boarded the bus carrying a knife and targeted the three Indian passengers.
Akshitha was allegedly kicked in the abdomen while trying to intervene and stop the knife attack.
The assailant then turned her attention towards Sobi and Daisy. Sobi was on a video call with her husband, John Paul, and their children in Kerala at the time. Her family saw the attack on the call. The first assault happened near Sobi’s seat, and she was beaten while trying to intervene.
Other passengers on the bus managed to restrain the attacker before police arrived. The attacker reportedly shouted “Indians” during the incident, prompting the victims to file a complaint citing racial motivation.
All three injured women have been shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. The woman involved in the attack has been taken into custody. The motive behind the attack is being probed, authorities said.
Nurses from Kerala form the backbone of the healthcare system in the UK, yet reports of racial abuse against them are on the rise.
