A man armed with a knife had stabbed two people to death in Dashilan, a major commercial center in downtown Beijing, the Publicity Department with the Communist Party of China Beijing Municipal Committee confirmed Thursday night.

The police cordon off Dashilan, a major commercial center near Qianmen in downtown Beijing, Sept. 17, 2009. A man armed with a knife stabbed two people to death and injured 12 others in Dashilan, police said. The tragedy occurred at around 6:40 p.m. on Thursday. The man has been captured, according to Beijing police sources. [Xinhua]

The tragedy occurred at around 6:54 p.m. on Thursday. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital and two security guards died later despite medical treatment, police sources said.

The man was captured at the scene by police on patrol.

Preliminary investigation showed that the suspect, named Zhang Jianfei, 46, was a native of Jilin City of the northeastern Jilin Province. Further investigation is still underway.

Police said they would strengthen security management in key areas and downtown areas to ensure the safety of local residents and tourists.