Sydney [Australia], December 14 (ANI): Several people are feared dead following a shooting incident at Bondi Beach, where dozens of rounds were fired into a large crowd on Sunday evening, triggering panic and a police warning for the public to take shelter, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, the incident occurred shortly after 6.40 pm, coinciding with the first night of Hanukkah. Residents in the area described police vehicles rushing towards Bondi as large numbers of people fled the beach amid scenes of chaos.

Police later confirmed that two people were taken into custody at Bondi Beach, the report said, while at least one of the suspected gunmen is believed to have been killed during the incident.

Herald journalists at the scene reported multiple fatalities, with injured victims being transported by ambulance to Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick. Separate police sources cited by the outlet said a NSW Police officer was among those shot, though the officer's condition was not immediately known.

Eyewitness accounts described the intensity of the attack, with people in Bondi saying they heard up to 50 gunshots and saw bodies on the ground near Campbell Parade. A 30-year-old local resident, Harry Wilson, told the publication he 'saw at least 10 people on the ground and blood everywhere'.

One victim, who sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, said he barricaded himself inside the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club with dozens of others. He said he heard dozens of 'popping noises' as people jumped security fencing and ran for cover.

Footage from the scene showed a bystander confronting an alleged gunman and wresting a rifle from him, an act described as potentially lifesaving. The gunman was firing from a grassy area near the Campbell Parade car park when the bystander intervened, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Videos circulating on social media appeared to show multiple people lying on the ground while members of the public administered CPR. Police urged people to stay away from the area and had earlier advised those present to take shelter.

Reacting to the incident, Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said the Jewish community had been targeted during a religious gathering on the first night of Chanukah. 'This is a day of profound grief. Members of our community have been murdered. Others have been seriously injured. Families are shattered. A sacred moment of light has been turned into darkness,' he said.

He added, 'Let me be clear. An attack on Jews celebrating their faith is an attack on Australia itself. It is an assault on our values, our social cohesion, and the basic right of people to gather without fear.'

Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin told Sky News that the annual Hanukkah event at Bondi and Dover Heights was attended by many families, and said that if the shooting was a targeted attack, it represented 'our worst fears realised'.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the reports and images emerging from Bondi were deeply distressing. 'Police and emergency services are responding, and the public should follow official advice,' he said in a statement. 'We will update the public as soon as more information becomes available.'

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was aware of an 'active security situation' at Bondi and urged people in the area to follow guidance issued by NSW Police.

Further details are awaited as authorities continue to respond and investigate. (ANI)