Nine people, including five children, stabbed to death

Nine people including five children have been stabbed to death on the outskirts of Suriname’s capital, Paramaribo, police have said.

Another adult and child were taken to hospital after sustaining serious injuries in the attack, city police said in a statement.

Officers were called to an address on a road leading out of the capital on Saturday night, where they detained a male suspect after shooting him in the leg. He was also taken to hospital for treatment and is under police guard.

Local media has suggested the man was suffering from mental health issues, citing officials and residents, while the South American nation’s president said his family and neighbours were among the victims.

“At a time when family and friends should be holding on to and supporting each other, we are confronted with the harsh reality that there is another side to the world,” Jennifer Geerlings-Simons said in a statement.

“I wish all the bereaved much strength, courage and comfort during this unimaginably difficult time.”

Police said further details about the circumstances of the incident would follow.

Suriname is among nations with the lowest rates of stabbing deaths, making incidents such as this one relatively rare.

However, it has endured several coups and a civil war since gaining its independence from the Netherlands in 1975.