Several people stabbed with knife in Paris near Gare du Nord

At least six people have been stabbed in knife attack in Paris in the downmarket area around Rue Max Dormoy near the Eurostar station, Gare du Nord, in the city's 18th arrondissement, on Tuesday at 11pm local time (10pm GMT). The man escaped on foot. The knife used in the attacks was found on the floor. Police quickly launched a major manhunt using the city's surveillance CCTV cameras to track him down.

The victims had non-life threatening wounds and were rushed to hospitals. It was not specified if the attack was terror-related. When the suspect was took in custody, it was too drunk to be interrogated immediately. His clothes were covered in blood when arrested in the early hours of Wednesday. The man was also unidentified.

The suspect  is due to be interrogated by Paris prosecutors supported by judicial police. He will be charged  with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. In October two young women were stabbed to death outside Marseille’s main train station in a terrorist attack. France remained on high alert following other attempts by knifemen to strike in Paris, including one in Paris exactly a year ago when an Egyptian national rushed at soldiers guarding the Louvre museum.

This story will be updated