Melbourne Shopping Centre Stabbing: Several Injured in Machete Brawl, Shoppers Flee in Panic

Melbourne: The Northland Shopping Centre in Preston, Australia, was placed under lockdown on Sunday after an armed fight involving 10 people landed a man in hospital. Initial reports suggested some of them were armed with knives, while a photo doing rounds on social media showed one suspect carrying a machete.

According to local reports, four people were injured in the attack, including the man hospitalised, who sustained serious injuries but is now in stable condition. Authorities are investigating the reason behind the violent skirmish, but the initial probe suggests the attack was targeted, and the parties involved were known to each other.

Meanwhile, the lockdown at the shopping centre sparked chaos, with shoppers being locked inside individual stores. The situation also prompted users to share unverified photos and videos of the stabbing incident on social media platforms like X.

One circulating image showed a machete-wielding man, which could not be independently verified.

Meanwhile, a video showed shoppers fleeing the mall in panic when the brawl was ongoing.

Reports say police have arrested two people in connection with the attack, and they are now being questioned.

Knife Attack in Germany

The stabbing incident in Australia comes just two days after a knife attack at the main railway station in Hamburg city of Germany, that wounded at least 17 people.

Emergency services said all the victims were hospitalised, including four people in critical condition who sustained "life-threatening injuries".

The Hamburg police arrested a 39-year-old woman, who was believed to be in "mental distress", in connection with the stabbing.