Wales stabbing: Girl, 16, dies after several wounded in suspected knife attack
Two men arrested and being treated in hospital
A 16-year-old girl has died in what is thought to be a knife attack in a village in south Wales.
Several people were wounded during the incident in Treorchy, in the Rhondda on Friday, prompting a mass emergency services operation to be launched.
South Wales police have now revealed that a teenager has died, and that two men have been arrested in connection with the attack.
Both men are in hospital being treated for serious injuries.
The force described the girl’s death as “sudden” and in “unexplained” circumstances.
Police and ambulance crews rushed to Baglan Street after receiving reports of a stabbing.
A cordon was erected around a Chinese takeaway restaurant called the Blue Sky, with a small white tent outside the premises.
John Belgrove, a builder, who lives on Baglan Street, said he was in his shed when his barking dogs alerted him to emergency services just after midday.
He said: “I came out and I counted over the next half an hour about 31 different emergency vehicles.”
One neighbour said she saw “quite a few police cars” arrive in the area and knew it must be “something serious”.
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.”
The cause of the girl’s death has not been confirmed, police said, and a post-mortem examination will take place to help establish how she died.
Her family are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers and efforts are continuing to contact other relatives, according to the force.
Detectives are are not looking for anyone else and the attacks are not being treated as a terrorism. “It is understood that those involved are known to each other,” police added.
Superintendent Rich Jones, from South Wales Police, said: “This is clearly a very serious incident which has caused significant shock and concern for both the local and wider community.
“We have a dedicated team of detectives working hard to establish the exact circumstances that have led to the tragic death of this young girl.
“While the investigation is still in its early stages, we can confirm that those involved are understood to know to each other and we are currently not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
“There will be significant police presence in Baglan Street over the weekend but we will reopen the road at the earliest opportunity.
“In the meantime, the support and understanding of the local community is very much appreciated.”