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Australian police on Saturday said they had received reports that “multiple people” were stabbed at a busy shopping centre in Sydney.

The incidents occurred at the sprawling Westfield Bondi Junction mall complex, which was packed with Saturday afternoon shoppers. 

The mall has been locked down and police have urged people to avoid the area. 

New South Wales Ambulance told AFP one man had been shot dead by police. He is believed to be one of the attackers.

The motive was not immediately clear.

Eyewitnesses said there was panic at the scene, with shoppers running to safety and police trying to secure the area.

Several people took shelter in a supermarket, where they remained for about an hour.

The sound of police sirens and helicopters filled the air. 

Security camera footage broadcast by local media showed a man running around the shopping centre with a large knife and injured people lying on the floor.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)