Cape Town – At least three separate knife attacks of hikers in mountains in and around Cape Town have occurred on Saturday, with at least one seriously injured.
Wilderness Search and Rescue spokesperson, Johann Marais, said that they had received reports of at least three incidents where victims had been stabbed.
He said details were still sketchy, due to multiple reports coming in of various incidents.
Marais said the first reported incident occurred around 09:20, when four possible members of Wilderness Search and Rescue called for help after they had been assaulted and stabbed in the mountains above St James.
"First indications show serious injuries, with a medical doctor, who also hiked in the area, assisting," said Marias.
Marais said the victims of the first attack had received treatment from two paramedics from Skymed, who had been scrambled to the scene after the initial report. He said all the victims of the first attack had then been airlifted from the mountain by Skymed.
In a separate incident an elderly woman was stabbed in the vicinity of the amphitheatre, with reports of a third mugging and more stabbings also being received.
Police have launched a manhunt for the attackers, with social media reports calling for anyone who had seen two or three men running together, or acting suspiciously between Jacobs Ladder, St James and Trappieskop, Kalk Bay to report them to the police immediately.