Multiple casualties reported as police respond to ‘serious and disturbing’ incident in Wales
Neighbours near Chinese takeaway ‘saw a lot of blood’
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One person is feared to have been killed and several stabbed at a Chinese restaurant in a small town in south Wales.
Police, ambulance crews and an air ambulance rushed to what they described as a “serious incident” with “a number of casualties”.
The Sun says a knifeman went on a “rampage” in a Chinese takeaway, stabbing people.
Neighbours were said to have seen “a lot of blood” and one reported that a woman who witnessed the events was heard screaming.
Specialist forensics officers in protective clothing put up a police tent and started to gather evidence in Baglan Street, in Treorchy, in Rhondda Cynon Taf after the violence erupted at midday.
South Wales Police advised people to avoid the area until further notice.
The street was closed off with police tape, and footage showed many police cars parked in the street beyond the cordons.
Journalist Manuel Cavazza said he had been told by a source familiar with the situation that at least one person had died.
A man who lives nearby wrote on Twitter: “There’s currently some sort of major incident happening in Ynyswen, just down the road from my house We got ambulances, cop cars, first responders and an air ambulance so far.”
John Belgrove, a builder, who lives in Baglan Street, said he was in his shed when his barking dogs alerted him to emergency services arriving.
He said: “I came out and I counted over the next half an hour about 31 different emergency vehicles. I saw what looked like a Chinese lady, probably in her 20s, crying uncontrollably, and she had blood on her front.
“There was one elderly Chinese man who was walking wounded with his head all bandaged up, and they put him in the back of an ambulance.”
He said another, younger man was being treated by paramedics.
“I helped the police block off the road, I heard them say that one person was dead and several others badly hurt,” he told The Sun.
Neighbour Mavis Wakeford, 79, told the PA news agency: “It’s quiet, nothing like this has ever happened. I’ve lived here all my life and nothing like this has ever happened before.”
She added: “It’s something serious, obviously, it’s got to be, hasn’t it?”
Neighbours said a family feud erupted inside the Blue Sky Chinese restaurant, leaving a series of casualties from suspected knife wounds, The Sun said.
Chris Bryant, Labour MP for Rhondda, tweeted that he was aware of “disturbing events” and said his thoughts went out to all those affected.
In a statement, South Wales Police said: “Police units are currently dealing with a serious incident which occurred in Baglan Street, Treorchy, at approximately midday today.
“Ambulance crews are also in attendance as the incident involves a number of casualties.
“The street has been closed off and people are advised to avoid the area until further notice.
“Updates will be released when they are available.”
The force asked people to refrain from speculating, and urged anybody who witnessed the incident to ring 101 immediately, giving reference *077519.
A spokesman for the Welsh Ambulance Service said: “We attended the scene with one rapid response vehicle, three emergency ambulances, our hazardous area response team and the Wales Air Ambulance.”
First inister of Wales Mark Drakeford tweeted that news of the incident was “deeply concerning”. He said: “I’m being kept informed of developments, and my thoughts are with everyone in the community during this worrying time.”
The Church in Wales said it was praying for all those affected.