Death toll in UK knife attack rises to 3

LONDON -- The death toll in the knife attack in Southport, Merseyside in northwest England, has risen to three, local police said on Tuesday.

"Sadly we can confirm that a third child has passed away as a result of injuries sustained in a knife attack in Southport yesterday morning," Merseyside Police said in a statement.

The police said it's a nine-year-old girl who died in hospital in the early hours of this morning. They also revealed that the children who died on Monday were girls aged six and seven.

"Eight other children suffered stab wounds sustained during the attack, and five of them are in critical condition," read the statement.

"Two adults are also in critical condition after being injured during the incident," it added.

The knife attack was reported at around 11:50 a.m. (1050 GMT) on Monday in a property on Hart Street, Southport.

It is understood that the children were attending classes at the "Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop" for minors aged seven to 11 when the attacker entered. Among the injured are the two said adults who were intervening in the attack.

A 17-year-old boy from Banks in Lancashire has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

The motivation behind the attack remains unclear and local police have urged people not to speculate on details of the incident as the investigation is still ongoing.