Kawasaki, Japan (CNN) Two people, including a 11-year-old girl, were killed and 17 other children hurt in a stabbing spree in Japan on Tuesday -- a rare act of public violence in a country considered one of the safest in the world.

The attack took place near a park in the city of Kawasaki, about 13 miles (21 kilometers) from Tokyo, authorities said. The children were waiting for the bus to the nearby Caritas Elementary School, according to the school's director Tetsuro Saito.

Saito said that the students were standing in two lines when the school's vice principal, Satoru Shitori, who was helping students get on the bus, witnessed a man holding two knives stabbing children one after another while running.

Kawasaki Police said a total of 19 people were injured, including the two victims who died. Police have named the girl who was killed as Hanako Kuribayashi. Her age was previously given as 12 by a spokesperson at Nippon Medical School Musashi Kosugi Hospital.

The adult male victim, 39-year-old Satoshi Oyama, was a father of a 1st grade student at Caritas Elementary School and a government employee. It is not clear if Oyama's child was hurt in the incident.

Read More </s> By Mari Yamaguchi | The Associated Press

TOKYO — A man swinging a knife attacked commuters waiting at a crowded bus stop just outside Tokyo during Tuesday morning’s rush hour, wounding at least 19 people, including 13 children, Japanese authorities said. Media reports said that two people were killed, though the local fire department reported one death.

The victims were lined up at a bus stop near Noborito Park in Kawasaki City when the man attacked. NHK national television, quoting police, said the wounded were rushed to nearby hospitals, but one child and one adult were believed to have died. The station revised its earlier report of three deaths.

The station, citing police, said that a bus driver told officials that a man holding a knife in each hand walked toward the bus and started slashing children.

NHK said a suspect was captured and two knives were found at the spot. The report said the suspect slashed his own neck and was in serious condition, but police wouldn’t confirm those details.

An official with the Kawasaki fire department said one person was believed killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media.

No other details, including the man’s identity and motives, were immediately known.

NHK interviewed a witness who said he saw the suspect trying to force his way onto a bus.

Television footage showed emergency workers giving first aid to people inside an orange tent set up on the street, and police and other officials carrying the wounded to ambulances.

Although Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, it has had a series of high-profile killings, including in 2016 when a former employee at a home for the disabled was accused of going on a stabbing spree that killed 19 and wounded more than 20 others.

In 2008, seven people were killed by a man who slammed a truck into a crowd of people in central Tokyo’s Akihabara electronics district and then stabbed passers-by.

In 2001, a man killed eight children and wounded 13 others in a knife attack at an elementary school in the city of Osaka. The incident shocked Japan and led to increased security at schools. </s> TOKYO (AP) — A man carrying a knife in each hand and screaming “I will kill you” attacked a group of schoolchildren waiting at a bus stop just outside Tokyo on Tuesday, wounding at least 19 people, including 13 children, Japanese authorities and media said.

The victims were lined up at a bus stop near Noborito Park in Kawasaki City when a man in his 40s or 50s attacked. NHK national television, quoting police, said that the suspect died after slashing himself in the neck. Police wouldn’t immediately confirm the report or provide or other specific details.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many others had died.

An official with the Kawasaki fire department told The Associated Press that one person had been killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media. Some Japanese media outlets were reporting at least three deaths, while some were saying two, including the attacker.

Kyodo news agency reported that all 13 children who were stabbed were girls at a nearby private school in Kawasaki City.

A witness told the Mainichi newspaper that he heard children shrieking after walking past a bus, and when he turned around, he saw a man wielding a knife in each hand, screaming “I will kill you” and that several children were on the ground.

NHK, citing police, said that a bus driver told officials that a man holding a knife in each hand walked toward the bus and started slashing children. NHK also interviewed a witness who said he saw the suspect trying to force his way onto a bus.

The attacker’s identity and motives weren’t immediately known.

Television footage showed emergency workers giving first aid to people inside an orange tent set up on the street, and police and other officials carrying the injured to ambulances.

Although Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, it has had a series of high-profile killings, including in 2016 when a former employee at a home for the disabled allegedly killed 19 and injured more than 20 others.

In 2008, seven people were killed by a man who slammed a truck into a crowd of people in central Tokyo’s Akihabara electronics district and then stabbed passers-by.

Also in 2016, a man stabbed four people at a library in northeastern Japan, allegedly over their mishandling of his questions. No one was killed.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> KAWASAKI, Japan (AP) — A man carrying a knife in each hand and screaming “I will kill you!” attacked a group of schoolgirls near a school bus parked at a bus stop just outside Tokyo on Tuesday, killing two and injuring 16 before killing himself, officials said.

Most of the victims were students at a Catholic elementary school who were lined up at the bus stop near Noborito Park in the city of Kawasaki when a man in his 50s began slashing them with knives. City officials, quoting police, said the suspect was captured but died from a self-inflicted slash in his neck.

Witnesses described a hellish scene: children and adults falling to the ground, some with their shirts soaked with blood, dozens of children running and screaming for help, and school bags and books scattered on the ground.

“I heard a scream so I stopped and turned around to see what happened. It was not a normal tone of voice,” said Yasuko Atsukata. She said she saw one person collapse, and then another. “The color of their white shirts turned red after they collapsed, then I understood they got stabbed.”

In a nearby parking lot, a frightened-looking boy was in shock with scratches on his face, hands and legs, apparently from falling to the ground as he ran for his life.

Police wouldn’t confirm specifics about the attacker except that he died. His identity and motive weren’t immediately known.

Kawasaki city official Masami Arai said most of the injured were students at Caritas Gakuen, a local Catholic school founded by Soeurs de la Charite de Quebec, an organization of Catholic nuns in Quebec City in Canada. Arai said three of the injuries were serious.

“We have sad news that one of our students was killed in the attack,” school director Hiroaki Takamatsu said at a news conference, choked with emotion. “I don’t know what to say to our students and their parents.”

Kanagawa prefectural police confirmed 16 people were injured and three others had died, including a man “who is not a victim but linked to the case.” Police identified two of the dead as 11-year-old Hanako Kuribayashi and Satoshi Oyama, a 39-year-old government employee who was taking his child to the bus stop.

Hospital officials said both had been slashed in the head, chest and face.

Witnesses said that as the attack unfolded, the bus driver shouted at the attacker, and as he was running away he cut his own neck, collapsing in a pool of blood as police seized him.

Japanese media including public broadcaster NHK said he was a 51-year-old resident of the city and that police found two more knives in his knapsack in addition to the two he was holding.

Television footage showed emergency workers giving first aid to people inside an orange tent set up on the street, and police and other officials carrying the injured to ambulances.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was outraged by the attack.

“Many small children were victimized, and I feel strong resentment,” Abe said as he was hosting President Donald Trump on a four-day state visit, which ended Tuesday. “I will take all possible measures to protect the safety of children.”

Although Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, it has had a series of high-profile killings, including in 2016 when a former employee at a home for the disabled allegedly killed 19 people and injured more than 20 others.

Also in 2016, a man stabbed four people at a library in northeastern Japan, allegedly for mishandling his questions. No one was killed. In 2008, seven people were killed by a man who slammed a truck into a crowd of people in central Tokyo’s Akihabara electronics district and then stabbed passers-by.

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. Associated Press journalist Haruka Nuga contributed to this report. </s> KAWASAKI, Japan (AP) — A man carrying a knife in each hand and screaming “I will kill you!” attacked a group of schoolgirls and adults as he walked toward a school bus parked at a bus stop just outside Tokyo on Tuesday, killing two and injuring 16 before killing himself, officials said.

Most of the victims were elementary schoolgirls who were lined up at a bus stop near Noborito Park in the city of Kawasaki when a man in his 50s began slashing them with knives. City officials, quoting police, said the suspect was captured but died from a self-inflicted cut to the neck.

Witnesses described a hellish scene: children and adults falling to the ground, some with their shirts soaked with blood; dozens of children running and screaming for help, with their school bags and books scattered on the ground.

“I heard a scream so I stopped and turned around to see what happened. It was not a normal tone of voice,” said Yasuko Atsukata, adding that she saw one person collapse, and then another one. “The color of their white shirts turned red after they collapsed, then I understood they got stabbed.”

In a nearby parking lot, a boy looking frightened and in shock had scratches on his face, hands and legs, apparently from falling to the ground as he ran for his life.

Masami Arai, an official at the Kawasaki city office, said 16 people, most of them schoolgirls at a Catholic school, were injured and three others, including the attacker, were believed to have been killed. Arai said three of the injuries were serious and 13 others were not life-threatening.

Police wouldn’t confirm specifics about the attacker. His identity and motive were not immediately known. Witnesses said that as the attack unfolded, a bus driver shouted at the man with the knives, and as he was running away he cut his own neck, collapsing in a pool of blood as police seized him.

Television footage showed emergency workers giving first aid to people inside an orange tent set up on the street, and police and other officials carrying the injured to ambulances.

Kanagawa prefectural police confirmed the death of sixth-grade schoolgirl Hanako Kuribayashi, 11, from Tokyo. Hospital officials at a televised news conference confirmed her death as well as that of a man in his 30s, saying both had been slashed in the head, chest and face.

Separately, doctors at St. Marianna University School of Medicine said a man in his 50s died at the hospital after being brought in from the crime scene with neck injuries. City officials and the media said the man was the suspect.

Most of the victims attended Caritas Gakuen, a well-known private school founded by Soeurs de la Charite de Quebec, an organization of Catholic nuns in Quebec City in Canada.

All of the victims except for two adults are in elementary school, according to city and hospital officials, and their ages are believed to be from 6 to 12. Caritas Gakuen runs from elementary through high school.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was outraged by the attack.

“It was an extremely harrowing incident in which many small children were victimized, and I feel strong resentment,” Abe said as he was hosting President Trump’s four-day state visit, which ended Tuesday. “I will take all possible measures to protect the safety of children.”

Although Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, it has had a series of high-profile killings, including in 2016 when a former employee at a home for the disabled allegedly killed 19 people and injured more than 20 others.

Also in 2016, a man stabbed four people at a library in northeastern Japan, allegedly over their mishandling of his questions. No one was killed. In 2008, seven people were killed by a man who slammed a truck into a crowd of people in central Tokyo’s Akihabara electronics district and then stabbed passersby. </s> A knife-wielding man has attacked a group of schoolchildren waiting for a bus in the Japanese city of Kawasaki near Tokyo.

At least 18 people were injured in a residential area. Two of them, an 11-year-old girl and a 39-year-old man, have died.

A suspect, a man in his 50s, stabbed himself in the neck after his rampage and later died in hospital.

Violent crime is rare in Japan and the motive for the attack is unknown.

The suspect was holding knives in both hands as he attacked the victims - 16 of whom were schoolgirls.

Police later named the victims of the fatal attack as Hanako Kuribayashi, who was in the sixth grade, and foreign ministry official Satoshi Oyama, who is believed to be the parent of another child.

The suspect has not been named.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the attack, saying he felt "strong anger" against it.

"It is a very harrowing case. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the victims and hope the injured recover quickly," Mr Abe said.

How did the incident unfold?

The incident took place just before 08:00 local time on Tuesday (23:00 GMT Monday) near a local park and a train station.

A number of students were waiting to board their bus to the nearby Caritas elementary school, a private Catholic school.

The driver of the Caritas bus told NHK that he saw a man approach the queue of students.

He began stabbing the children and then boarded the bus and stabbed children inside as well, according to the BBC's Japan correspondent, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes.

News agency Kyodo said the man was heard shouting "I'm going to kill you" during the attack.

He was apprehended by police and later died in hospital from injuries.

Emergency services arrived at the scene and set up medical tents to treat the wounded.

Locals have now begun placing flowers outside the site of the attack in a tribute to the victims. </s> A man wielding a knife attacked commuters waiting at a bus stop just outside Tokyo during Tuesday morning’s rush hour, killing as many as three people and wounding at least 19, including 13 children, Japanese authorities and media said.

NHK national television, citing officials, said that a man with a knife attacked people lined up at the bus stop in Kawasaki City. The report, quoting police, said the wounded were rushed to nearby hospitals, but one child and two adults were believed to have died.

An official with the Kawasaki fire department said one person was believed killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media.

NHK said the attacker was captured, and two knives were found at the spot.

No other details, including the man’s identity and motives, were immediately known. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Japan knife attack: "I saw children screaming and crying"

A knife-wielding man has attacked a group of schoolchildren waiting for a bus in the Japanese city of Kawasaki near Tokyo.

At least 18 people were injured in a residential area. Two of them, an 11-year-old girl and a 39-year-old man, have died.

The suspect, a man in his 50s, stabbed himself in the neck after his rampage and later died in hospital.

Police have named him as Ryuichi Iwasaki.

Violent crime is rare in Japan and the motive for the attack is unknown.

The suspect was holding knives in both hands as he attacked the victims - 16 of whom were schoolgirls.

Police later named the victims of the fatal attack as Hanako Kuribayashi, who was in the sixth grade, and foreign ministry official Satoshi Oyama, who is believed to be the parent of another child.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the attack, saying he felt "strong anger" against it.

"It is a very harrowing case. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the victims and hope the injured recover quickly," Mr Abe said.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Paramedics set up tents at the scene to treat the injured

How did the incident unfold?

The incident took place just before 08:00 local time on Tuesday (23:00 GMT Monday) near a local park and a train station.

A number of students were waiting to board their bus to the nearby Caritas elementary school, a private Catholic school.

The driver of the Caritas bus told NHK that he saw a man approach the queue of students.

He began stabbing the children and then boarded the bus and stabbed children inside as well, according to the BBC's Japan correspondent, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes.

News agency Kyodo said the man was heard shouting "I'm going to kill you" during the attack.

He was apprehended by police and later died in hospital from injuries.

Emergency services arrived at the scene and set up medical tents to treat the wounded.

Locals have now begun placing flowers outside the site of the attack in a tribute to the victims.

Image copyright AFP Image caption People have begun laying down flowers at the site of the mass stabbing

US President Donald Trump, who was in Japan on the last day of a state visit, also offered his "prayers and sympathy" to the victims.

How common are such incidents in Japan?

They are extremely rare and Japan has one of the world's lowest rates of violent crime.

Our correspondent says that in his neighbourhood it is very common to see children as young as four walking to school by themselves - a normal practice in Japan because it is so safe.

However, there have been in recent years a handful of attacks involving knives.

In 2016, 19 people at a care centre for people with mental disabilities were stabbed to death by a former worker. He reportedly said he wanted those with disabilities to "disappear".

Eight students were killed in a 2001 attack after a man entered an elementary school in Osaka. </s> 16 hurt and two killed as man stabs young girls waiting for bus in Japan

16 hurt and two killed as man stabs young girls waiting for bus in Japan

Rescue workers and police officers at the scene of the attack in Kawasaki, Japan

Two people have been killed in a mass stabbing by a knife-wielding man at a bus stop near Tokyo, Japanese authorities have said.

At least 16 people were wounded - most of them schoolgirls, a city official said.

The suspect, believed to be in his 40s to 50s, allegedly carried a knife in each hand and screamed "I will kill you" before attacking the group of children waiting at a bus stop in in Kawasaki city, south of the capital, on Tuesday.

He was unconscious when he was detained and died at the scene after reportedly stabbing himself in the neck, NHK TV in Japan said.

The schoolgirls, who were aged six and seven years old, were students at a private Catholic school and were waiting with their parents at a bus stop at around 7.45am.

Three of those injured were said to be in a serious condition, while the injuries of the other 13 pupils were not thought to be life-threatening.

Police recovered two knives at the scene. The suspect's identify and motive for the attack are still unknown.

One witness told NHK: "I heard screaming, then I saw a man standing with a knife in each hand. Then he crumbled to the ground."

Citing the police, NHK reported that a bus driver told officials that a man holding a knife in each hand walked toward the bus and started attacking the children.

Television footage showed emergency workers giving first aid to people inside an orange tent set up near the scene, and police and other officials carrying the injured to ambulances.

Some Japanese media outlets were reporting at least three deaths, while some said two people had died, it was not immediately clear how many people had been killed.

US President Donald Trump, who is on an official visit to Japan with first lady Melania, offered his condolences to the victims.

He said: "On behalf of the first lady and myself I want to take a moment to send our prayers and sympathy to the victims of the stabbing attack this morning in Tokyo.

"All Americans stand with the people of Japan and grieve for the victims and their families."

Mr Trump made the comments whilst on a tour of a Japanese navy ship at the Yokosuka naval base located south of Tokyo.

Violent crime is extremely rare in Japan and the country has one of the lowest rates of crime in the developed world.

Occasional high-profile incidents have shocked the nation, with more than a dozen people injured in a 2010 stabbing spree on a school bus and a commuter bus in a Tokyo suburb.

Two years earlier, a 28-year-old man drove a truck into a crowded pedestrian crossing in Tokyo, killing three people, before before stabbing four others to death.
A man stabs two people to death and wounds 17 others, including sixteen children, in Kawasaki, Japan, before slitting his own throat; he later dies of his wounds. Three people are in critical condition.