No fewer than four young children have been killed by a man wielding a hatchet in a kindergarten in Blumenau, Brazil.

It was gathered that another four children were injured by the 25-year-old man who entered the creche at about 09:00 local time (12:00 GMT) on Wednesday, April 5.

At least one of them is reportedly in a serious condition.

Police told local media that the attacker had surrendered and was in police custody.

The police, in a statement, said the assailant had handed himself in at one of their stations in the town.

Firefighters said about 40 children had been inside the Cantinho Bom Pastor nursery – which translates as Good Shepherd – at the time of the attack.

READ ALSO: 3 killed, 11 injured in Brazil twin school shootings

They added that the assailant had jumped over a wall in order to gain entrance to the building and had apparently targeted the victims at random.

Parents ran to the kindergarten as news of the incident spread.

City officials have suspended classes in Blumenau until at least tomorrow.

The governor of Santa Catarina state – where Blumenau is located – has declared three days of mourning.

It is not the first time a kindergarten in the state has been the target of an attack.

In 2021, an 18-year-old man killed two staff members and three toddlers in a creche in the municipality of Saudades.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva tweeted that “there is no greater pain than that of a family that loses its children or grandchildren, even more so when it’s through an act of violence against innocent children who can’t defend themselves.”

The city has about 360,000 inhabitants and is a popular destination with visitors exploring the German heritage of the region.

The Star