BEIJING • A man motivated by personal grievances killed a woman and injured 12 others in a knife attack in Beijing yesterday, police said.

The rampage unfolded at the Joy City Mall in Xidan district at around 1pm before officers quickly subdued the attacker, according to the authorities.

Three men and 10 women were sent to hospital after the attack and one woman died of her injuries, police said. The others were all expected to recover.

"After a preliminary investigation, the suspect, named Zhu, 35, from Xihua county in Henan province, confessed to injuring people in order to satisfy personal grievances," police said.

A witness dining at a nearby restaurant said she saw the man suddenly take a knife out of his bag and start attacking people at random, while another witness saw a victim injured in the neck.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS, XINHUA