Alleged assailant shot dead

Police shot dead a man who they say attacked several people at a train station in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on Wednesday, officials said.

The incident occurred at about 6:30 am when the man attacked passengers in the station's ticket office with a concrete brick, the Xi'an Railway Public Security Bureau said.

Police officers on duty opened fire at the man after he ignored repeated warnings to stand down, according to the bureau's micro blog.

The man, who was a member of the Uygur ethnic group, died later at a hospital after emergency treatment failed, the micro blog said.

The case is under further investigation.

Police in major Chinese cities began patrolling with guns last year after a deadly terrorist attack at a railway station in Kunming, Yunnan province.

A group of assailants armed with knives randomly attacked people at the railway station, causing 31 deaths and injuring 141 people, on March 1, 2014. Police shot dead four of the attackers, and wounded and captured a female suspect.

Police are authorized to shoot someone who seriously endangers the lives of other people.

malie@chinadaily.com.cn