A 25-year-old man has been detained after six people were killed and one person was injured in a kindergarten stabbing in China's Guangdong province.
The attack occurred about 7.40am local time on Monday in the city of Lianjiang, police said.
The suspect was a local man with the surname Wu, police added.
Some media reported that both adults and children were among the victims.
While violent crime is rare in China due to strict gun laws and tight security, stabbings at preschools over the past few years have raised concerns about school safety.
The latest news sparked emotive debate on the Weibo social media platform. By 1.50pm local time it was the top-trending discussion, with 290 million views.
Some social media users called for the suspect to face the death penalty while another user questioned security at schools, especially after similar previous attacks.
"Why do such cases still continue to emerge?" they posted.
In August last year, three people were killed and six wounded in a stabbing at a kindergarten in the southern province of Jiangxi.
In 2021, a man killed two children and wounded 16 at a kindergarten in the southwest region of Guangxi.
Attacks on children have also thrown a spotlight on mental health, which often goes under the radar due to cultural stigma attached to mental illnesses.
In 2017, a 22-year-old man set off an explosive device outside a kindergarten in Jiangsu province, killing himself and a few others while wounding dozens.
The man had a neurological disorder and had scrawled words for death on the walls of his home, according to state media.
Last month, a series of violent attacks in Hong Kong also raised the issue of mental health.
Experts point to the COVID-19 pandemic as a major factor behind an increase in mental health issues.
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