Eight people were killed, and one was injured in a knife attack on Thursday morning in Xiaochang county, Hubei province, China Central Television reported on Friday.

The incident occurred in Xiaowu town at around 9 am. The injured person is now said to be in stable condition.

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The suspect, identified as a 53-year-old man surnamed Lu, has been detained by the police. A preliminary investigation indicated that Lu has a mental disorder. He is expected to undergo judicial evaluation, the report said.

A special task force has been created to handle the case.