A 27-year-old man has been stabbed to death in a reported knife attack at the Pasteur 2 Hospital in Nice, France, with three other people injured, according to the local prosecutor.
The incident occurred at around 4:30 p.m. local time on Thursday at the University Hospital of Nice, prompting authorities to secure the facility and restrict access as police responded to the emergency.
The hospital was temporarily placed under lockdown as reports emerged that two armed suspects were believed to be inside the building. French media outlet franceinfo.fr reported that one of the suspects was carrying a knife.
Police officers were deployed in large numbers around the hospital, while members of the public were urged to avoid the area as authorities worked to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack.In a statement, the University Hospital of Nice confirmed that its emergency department at Pasteur 2 had been placed under temporary lockdown due to the exceptional situation.
Hospital management thanked patients, their relatives and law enforcement officers for their cooperation during the incident.The hospital later reopened at around 6 p.m. UK time after the security measures were lifted. According to franceinfo.fr, the two suspects had reportedly attempted to locate injured people in the vicinity of the hospital.
The local prosecutor confirmed that eight people were in custody as investigations continued. Authorities are working to establish the events leading up to the stabbing, the suspects’ possible motives and the circumstances surrounding the injuries.Further details about the victims and the suspects had not been fully established in the initial reports.
