No fewer than three children have been confirmed dead in the knife attack in Southport, Merseyside in northwest England, the United Kingdom (UK).

“Sadly we can confirm that a third child has passed away as a result of injuries sustained in a knife attack in Southport yesterday morning,” Merseyside Police said in a statement on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.

The police said a nine-year-old girl died in hospital in the early hours of Tuesday.

They also revealed that the children who died on Monday were girls aged six and seven.

The police added: “Eight other children suffered stab wounds sustained during the attack, and five of them are in critical condition.

“Two adults are also in critical condition after being injured during the incident.”

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The knife attack was reported at about 11:50 a.m. (1050 GMT) on Monday, July 29, in a property on Hart Street, Southport.

It is understood that the children were attending classes at the “Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop” for minors aged seven to 11 when the attacker entered.

Among the injured are the two said adults who were intervening in the attack.

A 17-year-old boy from Banks in Lancashire has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

The motivation behind the attack remains unclear and local police have urged people not to speculate on details of the incident as the investigation is still ongoing.

The Star