Multiple people stabbed at Rabbi's house in upstate New York

NEW YORK - Multiple people were stabbed at a Rabbi's house in upstate New York on Saturday night, local media reported.

The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council said on Twitter that the incident was reported at 9:50 p.m. (0250 GMT Sunday) from the small town of Monsey, some 30 miles (48 km) north of New York City.

Five people with stab wounds, all Hasidic, were transported to local hospitals. One of the victims was stabbed at least six times, and the least severe case had a cut in a man's hand, said the council.

The town, with a population of about 18,000, has a large orthodox Jewish community. Local media said that people were celebrating the Hanukkah, a traditional Jewish festival that started on Dec. 22 this year.

Videos circulating on social media have shown emergency responders rushing the victims to ambulances, surrounded by an array of emergency vehicles.

Some local reports said the assailant, a man armed with a machete, fled the scene in a vehicle and police were searching for him in the area.

The northeastern U.S. state of New York has seen a surge of anti-Semitic incidents in recent days. In the state's most populous New York City, police presence has been stepped up in major Jewish neighborhoods following multiple suspected anti-semitic attacks over the past week.