Crime Scene
A representational image of a crime scene. KAT WILCOX/PEXELS.COM

Four U.S. college instructors suffered from injuries after they were stabbed while visiting a park in China. The incident is considered as a rare case of violent crime against foreign individuals in the country.

The four professors were from Cornell College, a private liberal arts college in Iowa. According to the college, they were participating in a partnership program with Beihua University, a school in Jilin City, northeastern China.

Cornell College President Jonathan Brand said that they have been in contact with all four instructors and that they are providing them with the assistance that they need. He also described the attack as a "serious incident."

CNN noted that a footage of the attack was uploaded on social media on Monday, but was quickly censored. The footage showed that the attack happened in broad daylight, and lying on the ground were two men and a woman with visibly large blood stains. The video showed that the victims were talking on their phones. Around them were also curious onlookers.

The media giant was able to geolocate the video and it pointed to Beishan Park, a popular destination among locals and foreigners alike in Jilin City. It does not take a 30-minute drive in order to reach the park from the university, and Monday was a public holiday in the country.

NBC News reported that U.S. officials were already informed about the incident and that they are closely monitoring the situation. The spokesperson for the State Department did not add any further information on the subject.

It was on Tuesday that the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the incident. There was also noticeable number of hours of silence from Chinese authorities after the incident before the confirmation.