An attacker with a cleaver has hacked to death seven children and two adults at a kindergarten in northwest China, the latest in a string of savage assaults on the country's schools.

Since March 2010, some 16 children have been killed in various attacks forcing the government to take emergency action, beef up security and install cameras in Chinese schools.

According to the Independent, the latest attacker, Wu Huanming, 48, slashed the children with a meat cleaver on Wednesday as they arrived at the kindergarten in the city of Hanzhong, in northwest China.

Eleven more children were injured and 2 owners of the kindergarten were killed before the attacker committed suicide.

"There was blood everywhere," a resident, Zheng Xiulan, said.

"I don't know why he did it... I hadn't heard that he was mentally ill. He wasn't poor, either."

China's 'one child policy' and the amount of care parents give for raising their only child makes these attacks even more terrifying.

On the reasons for these attacks on children, Yang Dongping, an expert on education at the Beijing Institute of Technology says, "I personally feel that media reports about these attacks have helped to create a copycat effect."

Chinese officials have responded harshly.

Its ministries of Public Security and Education vowed punishment for such assailants.

"We insist on striking hard and on strict protection," reported the Ministry of Public Security. "Strike so that criminals won't dare touch children, and protect so that they cannot touch children."

Security is reinforced in Chinese schools as in Beijing alone close to 7,000 armed security personnel are deployed at kindergartens and schools.

Source:- http://presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=126400§ionid=351020404