Hijacker shot after taking Australians hostage in China

[el guapo]

Hijacker shot after taking Australians hostage in China



BEIJING (AFP) - A hijacker armed with explosives took a group of Australian tourists and a translator hostage in China on Wednesday before police shot and killed him, an Australian embassy official and Chinese media reported



Ten Australians were taken hostage on a tourist bus in the city of Xi'an in northwest China but nine were released soon after, Janaline Oh, spokeswoman for the Australian Embassy in Beijing, told AFP.



"Nine Australian passengers were released and transported to safety and a 48-year-old woman from New South Wales was not released with the rest of the group," she said.



Chinese police agreed to let the hijacker, Xia Tao, change buses and head to the airport before shooting him as he approached the toll station, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing the local public security bureau.



Xia was armed with explosives, Xinhua reported.



"Chinese security authorities intervened and secured the release of the woman and the Australian government is pleased the hostages are now safe," Oh said.



Oh said she did not believe the hostages had suffered any injuries. Xinhua said the woman and translator were unharmed.



Xia took the passengers hostage just before 10:00 am (0200 GMT) and was shot dead at 12:36 pm after negotiations failed, the report said, citing the local public security bureau. It was not clear why he took them hostage.



The 10 Australians flew to Shanghai after the ordeal, where they would be met by the Australian consulate-general in the city, Oh said.



Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said he was pleased the situation was resolved so quickly and that the hostages were safe.



"Our Embassy in Beijing and our Consulate-General in Shanghai are providing consular assistance to the Australians affected by this incident," Smith said.



No one from the local Xi'an government was immediately available for comment and a local public security official declined to provide information.



Xi'an is one of China's most popular tourist destinations, with the main attraction being the Terracotta Army, a collection of more than 8,000 life-size figures dating back to around 200 BC.



Taking hostages, especially foreigners, is rare in China.



Last summer, police in Shanghai shot dead a knife-wielding Chinese man who had taken a local four-year-old girl hostage in a fast food outlet in the city, state media reported.