Police have detained a 49-year-old woman who is suspected of stabbing a 75-year-old woman at a train station in Kobe on Wednesday.

Sannomiya subway station staff alerted authorities at around 12:20 p.m. that a woman had possibly been stabbed near the ticket gates at the station’s east exit. Police arrived to find the victim, a native of Kobe’s Kita Ward, with two stab wounds to her back, according to Yomiuri Television.

She was conscious and able to speak when emergency responders arrived and was quickly transported to the hospital.

The suspect, Yuko Yamamoto, of unknown address and occupation, was detained on the spot on suspicion of attempted murder, according to the Mainichi Broadcasting System. Police confirmed that the victim and Yamamoto did not know each other.

At the time of her arrest, Yamamoto was holding a brand name kitchen knife approximately 17 centimeters in length. Police ordered her to drop the weapon, but she refused. Officers used a baton to knock the knife from her hand before taking her into custody. Bloodstains believed to be from the victim were found near a pillar by the ticket gate.

Yamamoto remained silent during questioning but nodded when asked whether she had stabbed the victim.

A passerby had reported seeing someone swinging a kitchen knife near the station just before the attack.

The area was immediately cordoned off. Witnesses described seeing the victim lying on the ground, covered with a blanket as police set up a security perimeter.

Despite the disturbance, subway services continued to operate as usual following the incident, although station staff guided passengers outside the cordoned area.

Police are continuing to investigate the details of the attack, including a possible motive behind the stabbing.