Police are seen on Hart Street in Southport, northwest England, where a man was detained and a knife seized after a number of people were injured in a reported stabbing, July 29, 2024. JAMES SPEAKMAN/PA IMAGES/GETTY

Emergency services in the northwest England town of Southport said at least eight people were hospitalized after reports of a mass stabbing. Local police said a man was arrested and a knife was seized. They said there was "no wider risk to the public."

CBS News partner network BBC News reported the attack took place at a yoga and dance event for primary school-aged children. The BBC said a "Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop" aimed at children between seven and twelve years old was taking place near where the incident occurred.

North West Ambulance Service said eight people with stab injuries were transported to regional hospitals, including a pediatric facility. The conditions and identities of the victims were not immediately clear.

Alder Hey Children's Hospital declared a major incident and asked parents not to bring their children into its emergency room unless it was urgent, the Reuters news agency reported.

A local business owner, Colin Parry, who said he'd called the police, told the U.K.'s Press Association news agency he believed six or seven "young girls" had been stabbed.

"The mothers are coming here now and screaming. It is like a scene from a horror movie," he said. "It's like something from America, not like sunny Southport."

A parent who asked to remain anonymous told the Press Association his "daughter was in [the attack] and she was traumatized. She ran away and she's safe."

"Horrendous and deeply shocking news emerging from Southport. My thoughts are with all those affected," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on social media. "I would like to thank the police and emergency services for their swift response. I am being kept updated as the situation develops."

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