Salman Rushdie is currently on ventilator, unable to speak
Booker Prize winner and author of “The Satanic Verses” Salman Rushdie was attacked with a knife on Friday in New York, USA.
The attack happened when he was going to speak at an event at the Chautauqua Institute in New York. The person interviewing Rushdie was also injured in the attack.
Salman Rushdie’s agent told that the information that is coming about Salman Rushdie’s health is not very good. Salman Rushdie’s condition remains critical after a knife attack in New York State.
He told that at present he is on ventilator and is unable to speak. Andrew Wylie said that the attack could cause writers to lose their eyesight.
Andrew Wyllie said, “Salman is also suspected to have lost an eye, he has suffered a lot of injury in his arm and he has also been stabbed in his liver.”
In a video posted online, people present there soon after the incident are seen running on the stage. After this, the people present on the spot caught the attacker on the spot.
According to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Salman Rushdie is still alive. In a press briefing, he told that Rushdie has been taken to the hospital and is being looked after.
Salman Rushdie loaded onto Medevac. Very somber scene here at Chautauqua pic.twitter.com/c6E9LJth7O
— Horatio Gates (@HoratioGates3) August 12, 2022
At the same time, New York State Police has said that after the attack, Rushdie was taken by helicopter to a local hospital.
Salman Rushdie’s agent Andrew Wylie has told BBC affiliate channel CBS News that he has not yet received any latest information about Salman Rushdie’s health. He has told that Salman Rushdie has undergone surgery.
Who is the attacker?
At the same time, the police have told that Salman Rushdie’s neck has been stabbed with a knife. And the attacker is now in police custody.
According to the police, the name of the attacker is Hadi Matar and he is 24 years old. The attacker is a resident of Fairview, New Jersey.
Police say that the motive of the attacker is not yet known and the help of FBI is also being taken to know the reason behind the attack.
The suspect, Hadi Matar, had a pass for the program and had come alone. Police are yet to frame charges against Matar.
Suspect Hadi Matar jumped onto the stage and hit Salman Rushdie in the neck at least once and in the stomach.
Eyewitnesses saw
Mark Sommer, a local journalist, has spoken to several eyewitnesses. He told the BBC that the attacker was sitting in the audience wearing a black mask.
The man wearing a black mask jumped onto the stage and attacked Rushdie. After this 10-15 people who came to listen to Salman Rushdie reached the stage and they overpowered the attacker.
Rushdie lay on the ground for some five minutes. After that he was picked up and taken off the stage.
He was later taken to the hospital by helicopter. Sommer said that Rushdie usually walked with a lot of security.
Sommer told, ‘It’s hard to believe they didn’t have enough security. Perhaps the attack happened within seconds of the start of the programme.
Karl Levan said, “The incident was terrifying for the onlookers. He was sitting in the back of the 14th or 15th row in the amphitheater when the attack happened.”
Levan says the attacker stabbed Rushdie repeatedly.
New York State Police Commander Major Eugene J Staniszewski has issued a detailed police statement on the incident.
State Police are investigating an attack on author Salman Rushdie. https://t.co/U2OL1S0evh
— NewYorkStatePolice (@nyspolice) August 12, 2022
