Yixing (China) - Horror and grief at a Chinese vocational school: a former student (21) ran amok in the city of Yixing this Saturday evening (local time)! At least eight people were killed and 17 others were injured, some of them seriously.

The bloody incident took place at around 6.30pm at the Vocational Institute of Arts and Technology at the Wuxi Vocational School of Arts and Technology in the east of the country.

"The suspect was arrested at the scene," reported CNN and AFP, citing local police. The young man is said to have previously attacked his apparently random victims with a knife!

According to the police, the alleged perpetrator was supposed to celebrate his graduation this year - but he failed his final exams. His motives were said to be "failing an exam, not receiving a diploma and dissatisfaction with his internship pay".

The officers explained: "He returned to school to vent his anger and commit these murders." The 21-year-old suspect had already confessed shortly after his arrest.

The investigation is still in full swing.

Firearm attacks are extremely rare in China. Civilians are strictly prohibited from possessing such weapons. Nevertheless, there have been repeated bloody incidents of a different kind in the recent past.

Just last Monday, 35 people were killed in the city of Zhuhai after a 62-year-old man drove his vehicle into a crowd of people playing sports. Previously this year, there had already been several rampages in China in which a knife had been used as the murder weapon.

First reported at 18:45. Last updated at 19:28.