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Chinese official's head nearly hacked off in home burglary

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-09 19:26

HANGZHOU -- Police believe a burglar murdered a sleeping county official by nearly hacked off his head in a bizarre break-in, police in Qingyuan County said on Tuesday.

The victim was Wu Xianmin, 41, deputy head of the Qingyuan County federation for disabled people in east China's Zhejiang Province, who was found dead in bed with his head nearly severed last Thursday, said his wife who reported to the police at 10 a.m.

"He was still sleeping at about 9 a.m. when I went out. But when I went back one hour later, I found him murdered, maybe killed with a knife. The bed was all red because of the blood," she said.

Initial investigation showed it was a burglary. Police are hunting for a thin man, about 170 cm tall. Police said the suspect broke into the house but nothing in the room was stolen. No further details were given.

Wu began in the post last year, before which he worked as vice chairman of the federation of trade unions in the county.

The police had offered a reward of 20,000 yuan (about US$2,900) for information leading to an arrest.