Germany knife attacker 'had psychological and drug problems'

A man who killed a commuter and injured three others in a knife attack at a railway station near Munich suffered from psychological problems and drug addiction, state officials say.

The man attacked four people shortly before 05:00 (03:00 GMT) on Tuesday at Grafing station. One of the victims died of his wounds in hospital.

A 27-year-old German man was eventually overpowered by police and arrested.

Some witnesses said he shouted "Allahu akbar" ("God is great" in Arabic).

But a spokesman for Bavaria state's interior ministry said that "so far we have no evidence for an Islamist motive".

"We have found the man had psychological and drug problems," Oliver Platzer told AFP news agency. He said the investigation was continuing.

The suspect has been identified as a German national, apparently from the Hessen area of central Germany.

Earlier, an Upper Bavaria police spokesperson said that a "political motive" had not been ruled out.

Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann described it as a terrible attack and said a second victim had suffered life-threatening injuries.

He said there were no indications that the man was from a migrant background, adding: "So far there are no findings that are relevant for state security."

Footage from the scene showed bloody footprints on a train and the station platform in Grafing, a Bavarian town 40km (25 miles) east of Munich.

Hours after the attack, bloody footprints were visible on the station platform

The police spokesman said one of the victims had been stabbed on the train and others at the station or outside the building.

The mayor of Grafing, Angelika Obermayr, expressed shock at the attack.

"The idea that people get on an S-Bahn train on a beautiful morning or do their paper round and then become victims of a maniac is terrible," she was quoted as saying.

One of the platforms at Grafing station has been cordoned off and commuter trains have been hit by delays.