Infants stabbed at Belgian creche

Two pre-school children and an adult have been killed and 13 other people wounded in a knife attack at a creche in north-western Belgium.

A man who had painted his face black and white reportedly tricked his way into the nursery in Dendermonde, where he ran amok before escaping.

A suspect was arrested at a nearby shop and will appear in court later.

Parents have been asked to identify their children from photographs taken at local hospitals.

"All the kids had multiple stab wounds on their legs, arms and all over their bodies,"

Officials said the adults had been injured as they tried to put themselves between the attacker and the children.

"An act of great brutality has happened here against our weakest citizens," said Dendermonde's mayor, Buyse Piet.

"The whole city is united in support for the parents who are in deep grief."

The creche was evacuated soon after the incident and local authorities put a disaster plan in place.

Officials said he rang the doorbell at the Fabeltjesland nursery at 1000 local time (0900 GMT) and told staff he needed some information.

When they opened the door, he ran in and began attacking three of the infants.

"He quickly pulled out a knife and started using it on the children," said local prosecutor Christian Du Four.

"He then went up to another floor and started doing the same thing again."