A woman is in critical condition after being pushed down the stairs of a Queens subway station and repeatedly attacked with a hammer on her commute home from work.

The 57-year-old woman was entering the Queens Plaza station Thursday night when the suspect approached her from behind and kicked her down the stairs before pulling out a hammer and striking her on the head multiple times, police say. He then ran off with her purse.

Officers stationed at the subway platform there heard the victim, an employee of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, scream for help and ran to her rescue, finding her conscious but severely injured, sources say.

The victim suffered a fractured skull and lacerations to the head, and was taken to NY-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she is in critical condition.

This attack was just the latest in a string of recent assaults in the transit system and about a week after Mayor Eric Adams announced a subway plan to address violence, which went into effect Monday after eight different transit assaults over the weekend.

Officials say the plan will bring an increased presence of transit police into subways, and includes 30 joint response teams with people from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Homeless Services.

Police describe the suspect as a man last seen wearing a black hooded coat, a black mask, blue jeans, black shoes, and carrying a cane.

Anyone with any information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.