Two pupils killed in knife attack

Two pupils died and three were injured in a brutal knife attack yesterday outside a primary school in Urumqi , Xinjiang .

A group of fourth-grade pupils from the primary school affiliated to the Urumqi No56 Middle School were crossing a street outside their school at about 2pm when a man attacked them with a knife, according to Urumqi police.

One student died on the spot and another died later in hospital. Police said the victims were a boy and a girl and were nine and 10 years old.

Three students, including one who remained unconscious because of severe blood loss and a teacher, were injured in the attack. They were rushed to the Xinjiang Autonomous Region People's Hospital and Friendship Hospital, and were not in critical condition, according to police.

The attacker, whose identity and motive remained unknown, was immediately apprehended by passersby and was being interrogated by police.

'I don't have the man's name, age, or occupation. We don't know if he is connected with the school in any way. As to why he attacked the students, we are still interrogating him,' a police source said.