GUANGZHOU - A man whose relatives claimed he had a history of mental illness slashed eight people with a knife in Guangzhou City of south China's Guangdong Province on Thursday night, local police said.

The man surnamed Fan, 32, is from Shaoyang City of central China's Hunan Province. He attacked eight people with a kitchen knife at Lanyuan Street and Lanyuan New Street.

Local police said they received a report of the attack at 7:28 p.m. and seized the assailant with the help of people on the scene.

At the Guangzhou Armed Police Hospital where five of the injured were being treated, doctors have stitched the wounds of the patients, mostly on the head, shoulder and wrist, and put them in observation wards.

Witness Luo Xianggui, whose husband is among the injured, said the assailant lived across the street and showed no oddness during daily contacts.

The other three of the injured were receiving treatment in the Longdong People's Hospital. Police said their injuries are not life-threatening.

The assailant, whose motive remains unknown, was also hospitalized.

Investigation into the case is under way.