A Sudanese man was stabbed to death while a woman and her daughter suffered multiple stab wounds in an attack in Sharjah.
Police were notified on Wednesday morning of the stabbing incident and were dispatched to Al Butaina. Authorities found the Sudanese victim, 46, dead on arrival, while the woman, Indian, 33, and her daughter, 5, were alive, but bleeding heavily.
A second Sudanese man was found in bloodied clothes and brandishing a knife. Police suspect that he was behind the stabbings.
He was identified by his flatmate as being in his late 40s, and in the country on a visit visa hunting for a job.
The man resisted arrest, but eventually handed himself in to officers.
The woman was rushed to Al Kuwaiti hospital in a critical condition and was admitted to the intensive care unit, while her daughter was taken to Al Qasimi hospital.
Updates about the girl's condition have not been made available.
Police are investigating the cause and circumstances of the incident and are waiting for the woman to recover in order to question her.
There were unconfirmed reports that the stabber suffers from mental health issues.
According to his flatmate, the suspect's tourist visa expired last Friday and he grew worried about not having yet found a job.
"For nearly a week before the incident, he – the killer – started to show signs of madness – striking his head on the wall and talking to himself," said the flatmate.
He said that on the day of the incident, the suspect picked up a knife from the kitchen of their apartment and walked out towards the lift.
"We followed loud screams and found that the victim had stepped in between the killer and the woman and her daughter, allowing them to escape," said the flatmate.
The flatmate said the victim's burial may take place on Friday after Al Dhuhur prayer.