At least three people were killed and three others were injured in a stabbing attack at a park in Reading, England on Saturday, according to police.
Thames Valley Police said that officers were called to Forbury Gardens in the city, about 80 km west of London, at about 7 pm and “a number of people were injured and taken to hospital”.
“Tragically, three of these people died, and another three sustained serious injuries”, it further added.
Taking to Twitter, South Central Ambulance Service said in the early hours of the day that “we were assessing and treating a number of casualties who had sustained injuries as a result of the incident”.
A 25-year-old Reading man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder, the police said,
Several police patrol vehicles and two air ambulances arrived at the park after the attack, and the area was cordoned off.
“Police cordons continue to be in place and are likely to be for some time as we work to establish the circumstances of what has happened,” Detective Chief Superintendent Ian Hunter said.
A block of flats was raided after the arrest.
The stabbings took place around three hours after a peaceful anti-racism protest by the Black Lives Matter movement had taken place.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the attack, saying that his “thoughts are with all of those affected by the appalling incident in Reading”, and thanked emergency services.
Home Secretary Priti Patel also expressed her grief to the victim and said her “heart, prayers and thoughts are with all of those affected”.
Earlier this year, three Sikh men who were stabbed to death in a single attack in London were killed in a row about not being paid for work.
In 2017, An old Sikh postmaster in the UK was stabbed in the neck and head and his turban ripped off by a robber during a violent knife attack.
(With inputs from agency)