A 17-year-old girl was hospitalized after sustaining multiple stab wounds during an altercation outside a school in Sydney’s west on Friday afternoon. Emergency services responded to reports of a fight involving approximately six individuals near Blacktown West Public School on Lancaster Street around 2:30 p.m.

According to Blacktown Police, the victim, who is not connected to the school, sought refuge on the school grounds after being stabbed. Paramedics provided treatment at the scene before transporting her to Westmead Hospital, where she was reported to be in stable condition.

Authorities indicated the incident prompted a brief lockdown at the school, which was lifted shortly afterward. No students or staff members were reported to have been involved in or affected by the altercation. Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the stabbing.