Hong Kong (CNN) A woman wielding a kitchen knife has attacked at least 14 children at a kindergarten in Chongqing in central China, local police said Friday.

Chongqing City Banan District police said the children were slashed as they walked back to class after their morning exercises at Yudong New Century Kindergarten about 9.30 a.m. local time.

Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed small children bleeding from severe cuts to their faces at the entrance of the kindergarten as stunned adults looked on.

An image from state media shows children being rushed to hospital after a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in Chongqing. The child's face has been blurred.

School security guards and staff restrained the 39-year-old attacker and took her into custody. Video from the scene appeared to show angry onlookers attempting to hit and kick the woman after she was detained.

Chongqing resident Xia Yang said the attack had shocked residents of the city, a metropolis of some 30 million people.

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