China kindergarten attack: Woman charged over stabbing of 14 school children in knife rampage

A woman who police say slashed 14 children during a knife rampage at a school in the Chinese city of Chongqing has been charged with intent to commit homicide.

The 39-year-old allegedly attacked the youngsters as they were walking back to class following morning exercises at Xinshiji Kindergarten.

Authorities in the southwestern city have revealed only the suspect's surname, Liu.

The attack on Friday morning caused shock across China with videos of bleeding and traumatised pupils spreading quickly across social media.

"It happened when the children were entering the school gate," witness Zhang Jing told CNN. "The attacker just ran at them with a knife. The teachers were dumbstruck."

A post on the Chongqing Public Security Bureau’s official online account said: “Let's pray for these injured children and hope they can get better soon and forget the nightmare."

Police in the city said all victims were taken to the city’s Banan People’s Hospital. Local authorities declined to respond to questions about the extent of their injuries, the Associated Press news agency reports.

China has suffered a number of school stabbing incidents in recent years, blamed largely by authorities on people bearing grudges or suffering mental health problems.

Almost 20 children were killed in such attacks in 2010, prompting a response from government officials and resulting in many educational centres adding gates and security guards.

But in June this year a man stabbed two children to death near a school in Shanghai. Police later claimed that assailant was unemployed and carried out the attack “to take revenge on society”.