At least seven people including an attacker have been killed in a Sydney shopping mall in what has been described as a “stabbing attack”. However, officials said they were not ruling out terrorism.

Reports said a lone attacker began stabbing people at Sydney’s Westfield Bondi Junction mall complex, spreading chaos. He was shot dead by a police inspector.

Authorities moved to evacuate hundreds of people from the shopping mall.

The attacker stabbed at least nine people. An eyewitness said the attacker would have stabbed more police had a female police officer not shot him dead.

“People are urged to avoid the area,” New South Wales Police said in a statement. “Inquiries are continuing in relation to the incident and there are no further details.”

Emergency services were called to Westfield Bondi Junction just before 4 p.m. (0600 GMT) after the stabbing reports, police said.