6 dead in China axe attack

A mentally deranged Chinese farmer on Wednesday killed six people, including two schoolchildren, with an axe. He went on a rampage in central Henan, in what is being regarded as a social revenge attack.

A mentally deranged Chinese farmer on Wednesday killed six people, including two schoolchildren, with an axe. He went on a rampage in central Henan, in what is being regarded as a social revenge attack.

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A pre-school girl and three adults were killed on the spot while another child and one more adult died in a hospital, reports said. The children were aged one and four.

Police have detained Wang Hongbin, a 30-year-old farmer, who is believed to be mentally ill. This is the second such attack after August 30 when a woman went on a slashing spree with a blunt ruler, injuring eight pre-schoolchildren at a school.

The frequency of such attacksincreased since last year, when some men walked into schools and targeted children with blunt weapons.