Mass Stabbing Near Tokyo Injures At Least 15 People, Including Schoolchildren

At least 15 people, including eight children, were injured during a mass stabbing near a park in Kawasaki City, just south of Tokyo, this morning. Local police put the injury toll at 15, while Kawasaki Fire Department spokesman Keiichi Hayakawa told Agence France-Presse that “the number of injured people is now 19, including one who is seriously injured and now shows no vital signs.”

Dai Nagase, another spokesman for the Kawasaki Fire Department, earlier revealed that "A man stabbed them. We received an emergency call at 7.44am, which said four elementary schoolchildren were stabbed."

Two children and an adult were without vital signs after the attack, Reuters reports, and a man—who himself has serious injuries—has been detained by police. Public broadcaster NHK said the suspect had stabbed himself during the incident, suffering a serious wound. Two knives were found at the site.

The attack occurred during Tuesday morning’s rush hour, according to The Australian, with the assailant—likely in his 40s or 50s—slashing at commuters as they lined up at a bus stop. An NHK report, quoting police, said the wounded were rushed to nearby hospitals. Emergency medical tents were also erected to treat the wounded on site.

"I heard the sound of lots of ambulances and I saw a man lying near a bus stop bleeding," an anonymous witness told NHK, as reported by SBS. "There is another bus stop near the elementary school and I also saw elementary schoolchildren lying on the ground… It's a quiet neighbourhood, it's scary to see this kind of thing happen."

At least one child and one adult are believed to have died.

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