Hong Kong (CNN) Eight young children were killed in a school attack in the central Chinese province of Hubei on Monday. It was their first day of class.

The attack took place at the Chaoyangpo Elementary School in Hubei's Enshi City. According to a statement from the local government, a 40-year-old man surnamed Yu attacked students at the school at 8 a.m. local time, when students would have been arriving for class.

He is in police custody.

Eight were killed and another two were injured. No details were given on the students' injuries or their individual ages. In China, elementary school children range in age from 6 years old to 13.

"The local party committee and government is all out organizing rescue and remedial work," the statement from Enshi City government said.

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