One man was killed and seven others were injured, two of them seriously, after a stabbing attack early on Sunday in the central English city of Birmingham, the Police said.
SEE ALSO: Donald Trump Evacuated From Briefing Room After Shooting Outside White House
A murder investigation has been launched.
None of those injured is considered to be in life-threatening condition, but one man and one woman “suffered critical injuries’’, West Midlands Police said in a statement.
“There is absolutely no suggestion at all that this is terror-related and victims attacked in Birmingham appear to have been chosen at random,’’ said Chief Superintendent, Steve Graham of West Midlands Police, the PA news agency reported.
Graham said the Police are looking for one suspect, adding that he said the stabbings were “not motivated by hate’’.
His statement was echoed by Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, who said there was no information linking the incident to terrorism.
Police noted that the incidents were all linked.
“We are doing all we can to apprehend the person responsible,’’ read a police statement.
“We can confirm that at approximately 12.30 a.m. today we were called to reports of a stabbing in Birmingham city centre,’’ West Midlands Police tweeted earlier on Sunday.
“We immediately attended, along with colleagues from the ambulance service.
“A number of other stabbings were reported in the area shortly after,’’ they added.
West Midlands Police said late on Sunday a team of detectives were working through the night to identify and trace a suspect.
They released footage of a man they said was wanted on suspicion of murder and asked anyone with information to get in touch.
Police asked people to remain calm but vigilant and to stay away from the area.
In unrelated events, five people in London were arrested after five stabbings, also on Saturday night.
One person was seriously injured in Bexleyheath town in the greater London area, according to a police tweet.
Five suspects were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm, the Police said and appealed for witnesses.