Six people are dead and at eight others are injured, including a baby, after a mass stabbing at a busy shopping centre in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Police believe there was only one attacker, who was shot dead by officers at Westfield Bondi Junction after an emergency call at about 3.40pm on Saturday.

The identity of the victims and attacker are yet to be confirmed.

Police say they are yet to ascertain a motive for the attack.

NSW Ambulance confirmed eight people have been taken to hospital after the attack, including paediatric patient was also taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital.

Dozens of paramedics are treating patients at the scene, and police have declared a critical incident.

Multiple posts on social media showed crowds of people outside the shopping centre.

Tactical police were seen at the scene along with many ambulances.

One offender is confirmed dead at the scene. Photo: AAP

There have been multiple reports of people running from a man wielding a knife and hiding at the back of shops.  

One witness told ABC News he heard yelling and screaming then saw people running and he followed a female police officer upstairs.

They then confronted a man coming towards them with a knife and the officer told him to put it down.

When the man did not comply the officer shot him and then gave him CPR.

“He would have kept going, he was on a rampage …he had a nice big blade on him so she chucked the knife away … it looked like he was on a killing spree,” the witness said.

Tweet from @WaverleyCouncil

A woman told the ABC she thought she was going to die.

“I just came out of the gym and I was and I was just like living my life and then I thought I was going to die … I was just so scared,”  she said.

Other witnesses told of grabbing their children and running from the centre along with hundreds of other people.  

Waverley Council said on social media the shopping centre was in lockdown and advised against unnecessary travel to Bondi Junction.

Roi Huberman told the ABC he sheltered in a store as the incident unfolded and later saw people leaving the centre in tears.

“I think people are worried about what the nature of it was,” he said.

Aerial footage showed multiple armed police moving through the shopping centre car park.

Tweet from @AlboMP

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was briefed by the Australian Federal Police on the incident.

“Tragically, multiple casualties have been reported and the first thoughts of all Australians are with those affected and their loved ones,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

-AAP