A 16-year-old pupil has died after an incident at an Aberdeen secondary school this afternoon. The Aberdeen police Twitter account confirmed at 4.29pm that the boy had died “following a serious incident at Cults Academy” and that his family had been informed.

A subsequent tweet by police said: “An extensive investigation is underway & a 16-year-old male has been detained in relation to the incident & is assisting us with enquiries.” Minutes later, Aberdeen police tweeted: “We can confirm that the Cults Academy incident is being treated as a Murder Investigation.”

Chief Inspector Graeme Mackie said: “This is a shocking and extraordinary incident for Aberdeen and firstly our thoughts are with the family and friends of the boy who has sadly lost his life today.

“A full and thorough enquiry is under way has been launched [sic] and there will be a police presence in the area for the foreseeable future.

“We are working closely with the education authorities and wider community as I am sure this incident will be felt not only in Aberdeen but much further afield.”

An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said: “It is with shock and sadness that we can confirm that a pupil of Cults Academy has died following an incident at the school earlier today. Our heartfelt sympathies are extended to the friends and family. We will be providing support to pupils, teachers, parents and the community in the coming days.

“Police Scotland is on site and they will provide further updates as required.”

Earlier, a police spokesman said that a male pupil had been taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after reports of an incident at 1.30pm.