UK police say one person has died and seven have been injured, two seriously, after multiple stabbings in Birmingham in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Authorities are looking for an unknown male suspect but no arrests have been made, a police spokesman told a news conference on Sunday.
The public should remain “alert”, he added.
“We can now confirm that we’ve launched a murder investigation following the events in Birmingham city centre overnight,” police said in a statement.
“A man has tragically died. Another man and a woman have suffered serious injuries and five others have also been injured, although their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening,” they added.
Officers were called out to reports of stabbings in the centre of the city, which took place between 12.30 am and 2.20 am. They believe the incidents are linked.
“We immediately attended, along with colleagues from the ambulance service,” the force said in an earlier statement.
A major incident was declared in the city centre — this is defined in the UK as any emergency that requires the implementation of special arrangements by the emergency services, or another public authority, involving a large number of casualties.
It also describes any situation involving serious harm or a security risk to the public.
A witness at the scene told Euronews that a police cordon had been established on Hurst Sreet, stretched from St John’s Walk down to the junction of Claybrook Street, and on Bromsgrove Street from outside the Missing bar to the Loft bar-restaurant.
“I’ve seen forensics combing the street with torches,” they added.
Police still have cordons in place at a number of scenes across the city, including Livery Street, Irving Street and Hurst Street.
They urged anyone who witnessed anything or who has any CCTV or mobile phone footage of the incidents to contact them as soon as possible.
“The information you have may be crucial to our investigation,” they said.
West Midlands Police dismissed claims gunshots had been fired, saying “this has not been reported to us at this stage”.
Birmingham is Britain’s second city, home to more than one million people, and is located in the West Midlands region in central England.
Source:euronews.com