A knife attack near Paramaribo, Suriname, killed at least nine people, including five children, police reported.

The victims included four of the attacker’s children, as well as neighbors who tried to intervene, with the deaths occurring across multiple homes in the Richelieu area.

The 43-year-old suspect reportedly began the attack after a dispute with his estranged wife over picking up their children.

Police intervened, and the suspect was injured during his arrest and is now hospitalized, while a sixth child and another adult remain seriously injured, the AP has reported.

Suriname’s President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons expressed condolences, highlighting the tragedy in a country that has historically had low murder rates, though homicides rose sharply in 2024.