Dispute triggered knife attack in Hunan

Photo taken on March 14, 2014 shows a body lying on the ground at the crime site on a street of Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. A group of knife-wielding assailants attacked civilians in Changsha on Friday morning. (Xinhua/Bai Yu)

Dispute between two shop staff triggered the knife attack that killed five people in central China's Hunan province on Friday morning, local police announced on Saturday.

A knife fight broke out between Hebir Turdi and Memet Abla, two staff in a bakery, at around 10:15 am at Shahuqiao Market in Changsha city, the provincial capital.

Investigation by the police showed the 21-year-old Turdi started to work at a bakery after he arrived at Changsha on Feb 1. He quarreled a lot with his colleague Abla, who is 22-year-old, and often disobeyed the boss. He was fired on Wednesday morning.

Turdi argued with Abla again at around 10 am Friday, and started chasing each other on the street, both holding a knife from the bakery.

Abla was hacked to death by Turdi, who later hacked four passersby as he ran away. Police arrived at the scene two and half minutes later and shot Turdi to death as he tried to flee and assault the police.

Two of the passersby died at the scene. The other two died in hospital.