At least two Chinese citizens were killed and another three injured yesterday after a financially strapped 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 the 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.