Two people were killed when waiting in line to buy tickets at the Beijing Railway Station, the Beijing Railway Public Security Bureau said on Friday.

The suspect has been detained.

A police officer at the bureau who declined to give his name said the victims were a man and a women, both in their 20s, who were stabbed to death as they waited to buy tickets in the No 2 ticket hall in the railway station on Thursday morning.

"The crime motivation and suspect's identity are still under investigation, and if any progress is made, we will release it to the public in a timely manner," the police officer said.

A male eyewitness surnamed Li said the two victims knew each other and had been waiting in line together at the ticket office.

"I was waiting in front of them, with several people between us. I didn't notice what they were talking about. I then heard a loud noise coming from the passengers behind me. When I looked back, I saw the two victims had fallen to the ground, and a man running away," the Beijing Times quoted him as saying.

Another male eyewitness, surnamed Zhao, said the male victim was stabbed in his neck and chest, and the young woman was stabbed in her neck.

The ticket office was closed by the police on Thursday morning, and three police cars and more than 10 officers were positioned outside the ticket hall to maintain order. Some police searched for evidence in the nearby garbage, according to the Beijing Times.

The incident happened in the early morning when the railway station was relatively quiet. The other travelers in the No 2 ticket office were transferred to the main ticket office. No travelers were stranded.

According to the Beijing 120 Emergency Center, by the time the ambulance arrived, the two victims had died. Their bodies were taken to the local forensic identification center.

The No 2 ticket office reopened on Friday.

"It’s only an individual case, and the entire security situation in the railway station is good," Tian Fei, a police officer on duty at the station said on Friday.

"The traditional Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day are approaching, and we will increase the police force in the station to pay attention to theft and robbery cases, and help maintain public order," he added.

zhangyan1@chinadaily.com.cn