A 70-year-old grandmother has been stabbed to death in front of her young grandchild in a “harrowing” attack in a Queensland shopping centre car park.

The woman was found in a pool of blood in the underground car park of Town Square Redbank Plains Shopping Centre, south-west of Brisbane, about 6.10pm on Saturday.

She had been stabbed in the chest by an assailant reported to have been of African appearance who fled the scene and was still on the run on Sunday morning.

Emergency services attempted to revive the Redbank Plains woman however she was declared deceased at the scene a short time later.

“Let’s be clear, this is an abhorrent, cowardly, violent attack on a 70-year-old grandmother in front of her six-year-old granddaughter,” said Detective Acting Superintendent Heath McQueen.

“This is a very confronting scene we have been faced with this evening.”

‘Extremely confronting’

The child was not injured but had witnessed the nightmarish attack. The girl and her grandmother had been grocery shopping at the centre, police said.

Police are reviewing CCTV footage and Detective Acting Superintendent Heath McQueen said the incident was difficult to watch.

“It’s extremely confronting for first response officers, bystanders who intervened shortly after to provide medical assistance,” he said.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles said he had been briefed on the “awful murder” and backed police to find the culprit.

“It is an abhorrent crime, a terribly violent crime, a crime committed, it sounds like, in front of a very young relative of the victim,” he told reporters on Sunday.

“I know our police are working just as hard as they can to catch this perpetrator and no doubt the courts will take this crime as seriously as I do.”

“No doubt they will catch this murderer and I hope they throw the book at him.”

Local GP Dr Ademola Afolabi was at the shops to buy dinner when he heard the girl shouting ‘my grandma is dead’ and followed her to the underground parking spaces.

“She was in a pool of blood mostly on the left side,” he said.

‘There was no pulse’

“Her pants were soaked in blood, probably bleeding from the chest area. But we didn’t move anything.

“There was no pulse. We tried some CPR, but there was nothing. A nurse came around at some point but it was too late. They didn’t give her a chance.”

Afolabi said even as a doctor exposed to death, he had never before experienced anything so shocking.

“A little girl shouldn’t have to witness that,” he said.

“I’ve seen quite a fair bit of dead people, but nothing like this.”

Police said a manhunt was under way for the alleged offender.

“We will continue to investigate this around the clock – we will commit all the resources we have at our disposal to locate this offender and apprehend him,” said McQueen.

He said police were shocked by the “level of violence” evident in the footage of the attack captured on CCTV.

“It’s extremely confronting to watch, it’s extremely confronting for first-responding officers and bystanders who intervened,” he said.

“Many seasoned police, including myself, who reviewed the footage are taken aback by the level of violence.

“This is a 70-year-old grandmother, this is in front of her six-year-old granddaughter, and now is the time to step up and come forward and provide us with information that we need as to who the identity of this offender is.”

A crime scene has been declared and investigations are continuing.

Witnesses or anyone with information is urged to immediately contact police.

-AAP