8 dead, 17 hurt in knife attack at Chinese school

A knife attack at a school in eastern China on Saturday evening left eight people dead and 17 others injured. The incident occurred around 6.30 pm at the Wuxi Vocational Institute of Arts and Technology in Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, local authorities said.

According to a statement by the Yixing Public Security Bureau, the suspect, a 21-year-old former student surnamed Xu, was apprehended at the scene and confessed to the crime.

Police stated that Xu, who had failed his exams and was denied a graduation certificate, returned to the school to "vent his anger." He also expressed frustration over his internship pay. Emergency services swiftly mobilised to treat the wounded and provide support to those affected.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for "all-out efforts" to treat the injured and prevent similar tragedies. Investigations into the Yixing attack are ongoing, while the nation grapples with the alarming rise in such incidents.

This attack is one of several recent violent incidents in China, where firearms are strictly regulated but knife crimes remain a concern.

Earlier this week, 35 people were killed and 43 injured when a man drove his vehicle into a crowd outside a sports centre in Zhuhai City, southern China.

In October, a knife attack at a Shanghai supermarket left three people dead and 15 injured, and in September, a Japanese schoolboy was fatally stabbed in Shenzhen.