Police are searching for a male assailant after a knife attack at a major Perth shopping centre on Friday afternoon.

Police were called to Westfield Carousel in Cannington at around 3:30pm after receiving reports of an altercation between the two men

They said a 20-year-old man was slashed in the face with a knife by another man, who fled the scene. 

The knife has been recovered and police say efforts to locate the offender are continuing.

Police say there is no ongoing threat to the public “or further cause for alarm”.

People had earlier been asked to avoid the area, while shoppers inside the centre were told to be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behaviour.

Shops reopening

Retail workers who spoke to the ABC said stores are now re-opening after some shops were instructed to close their doors.

It is unclear whether all stores in the shopping centre were instructed to temporarily close.

Some stores have chosen to remain shut for the rest of the day.

Westfield Carousel is about 12 kilometres south of Perth’s CBD and is one of the biggest shopping centres in the metropolitan area.

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