Australian at a busy Sydney shopping mall, police said on Saturday A knife-wielding man attacked people As a result of which six people including a small child lost their lives.
According to the French news agency AFP, an unknown knife-wielder stabbed several people with a knife. The assailant was later shot dead by the police.
The incident took place at the sprawling Westfield Bondi Junction mall complex which was packed with shoppers on Saturday afternoon.
New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said the motive of the attacker was not immediately clear, but Cooke said ‘terrorism’ could not be ruled out at this stage.
‘I don’t know who he is at this stage. You understand that it is quite early. The investigation is at an early stage and we are continuing efforts to identify the culprit involved in the incident.’
A New South Wales Ambulance spokesman told AFP that eight injured people were taken to various hospitals in Sydney, including a small child who was taken to the city’s Children’s Hospital.
“All these people sustained deep injuries,” the official said.
Security camera footage shown on local media shows a man wearing an Australian rugby league jersey running into the shopping center with a large knife and injured people lying lifeless on the floor.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of panic, saying shoppers were running to safety and police were trying to secure the area.
Many people took shelter in shops. They tried to save themselves and their families.
A woman named Pranjul Bukaria was doing some shopping after finishing her work when she was attacked with a knife.
Eventually they ran to a nearby shop and took shelter in the rest room during the break.
He told AFP: ‘It was a terrible scene. There were some people who were emotionally weak and crying.’
This section contains related reference points (Related Nodes field).
She, along with other shoppers and staff, exited the shopping center using an emergency exit and walked into a back alley.
He described the ‘chaos’ as people were running and the police were on patrol.
He said, ‘Thank goodness I’m alive.’
A woman named Reese Colmanres froze in place when she saw people running and screaming past her.
He told AFP that people were saying that someone had been attacked with a knife. She went to a nearby hardware store along with 10 to 12 others.
“They took us (to a room) and closed the shop,” he said.
‘It was terrifying. There were small children, old people and people in wheelchairs everywhere.’
Dozens of police and ambulance vehicles remained outside the shopping complex as night fell. Stretchers were ready to take people to nearby hospitals.
The sound of police sirens and helicopters echoed in the air
The shopping mall was closed and police urged people to avoid the area.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed regret over the attack.
He wrote on social media platform X that “sadly many lives have been reported and all Australian citizens are with the victims and their loved ones.”
Such attacks are unprecedented in Australia, where violent crime rates are relatively low.
#Knifewielding #man #attacks #Sydney #shopping #mall #dead #police
2024-09-04 00:22:17
