A woman has been arrested after four men were stabbed in Covent Garden in central London, police said.
Four people have been taken to a major trauma centre following the incident on Endell Street on Wednesday afternoon.
The Metropolitan Police said four men, aged 34, 39, 42 and 52, were found with stab wounds.
They were taken to hospital where two remain with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.
The other two victims have been discharged.
A 47-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault, the force added.
She was taken into custody, where she remains.
The stabbing is believed to have been a mental health-related incident and a pair of scissors were recovered at the scene, the Met said.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We sent an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.
“We treated four patients at the scene and took them all to a major trauma centre as a priority by road.”
Police previously said three people had been stabbed in the incident, but in a statement they later confirmed four people were found with stab wounds.
A large police cordon was put up from High Holborn to the St Mungo’s homeless centre in Endell Street, where officers were speaking to people before they entered the building.
Restaurants near the cordon towards Long Acre continued business.
Matt Bishop, 42, who works at a consultancy firm next to the cordon, said he had seen a woman having a “stand-off” with three police officers and waving a weapon around.
He added that he did not see the stabbing but saw the woman running towards the crossroads and said she seemed “pretty incoherent”.
Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, who leads policing in the area, said: “Officers responded within minutes of this incident after receiving a number of reports.
“While still at an early stage of the investigation, we would like to reassure the community that we currently believe this to be an isolated, mental-health related incident.
“A visible police presence will remain in the area while evidence is gathered at the scene and we thank the public for their understanding.”
Members of the public with information about the incident have been asked to call police on 101 quoting CAD3449/05AUG.
