An attacker with a knife injured 37 children and two adults at an elementary school in southern China on Thursday, according to a local government statement.
The attack, which took place in Cangwu county in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, saw all 39 victims hospitalized, though none were in a serious condition. The 37 children, were “slightly injured” according to a statement released by the Cangwu county, while the two adults had more severe wounds.
The police have detained a single suspect, according to the statement. Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times claimed the attacker was a security guard at the school. No additional information has been provided about the attacker.
The children who attend this elementary school are between 6 and 12 years of age.
Knife attacks in China, especially at schools, are not uncommon, with a number of similar attacks taking place in recent years.
In October 2018, a woman wielding a kitchen knife slashed at least 14 children at a kindergarten in the central city of Chongqing.
Nine students were killed at a middle school in Shaanxi province in April 2018 by a 28-year-old man who was later sentenced to death.
In 2017, 11 students were injured after a man climbed over the wall of a kindergarten with a knife and began attacking them.
CNN’s Ben Westcott contributed to this report.
