At least two Chinese citizens were killed and another three injured on Monday after a South Korean man set fire to a small inn in Seoul and stabbed guests there, said officials of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul.

Two Chinese female citizens were killed in the incident while another two Chinese women were seriously injured, said Song Yu-min, consul of the Chinese embassy, adding that casualties of Chinese citizens could rise as several victims' identities remained unclear.

According to Chen Junjie, press officer of the Chinese embassy, charge d'affaires ad interim in Seoul Xing Haiming is leading an emergency team to deal with the incident.

The Chinese embassy has asked the South Korean government to investigate into the incident and provide proper treatment to the wounded Chinese, Chen said.

"Xing is on his way to the site of the incident and will visit the wounded Chinese," Chen told Xinhua.

Consuls of the Chinese embassy is now contacting with South Korean authorities on the issue, Chen said.

A total of six women died in the incident while seven others were hospitalized, said Seo Young-suk, an official of Seoul's Gangnam police station, earlier in the afternoon.

The assaults took place at 8:15 a.m. local time (2315 GMT Sunday). The suspect, identified only by his last name Chung, was arrested at the scene by the police shortly after the incident, Seo said.

"Society ignores me. I wanted to kill them all because I don't want to live," Chung was quoted as saying by local police when inquired for the motive behind his murder spree.

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2008)