A man armed with explosives attacked a group of Australian tourists visiting the Chinese city of Xi'an today, holding one woman and a local translator hostage until he was shot dead by police.
The man attacked a group of 10 Australians visiting the northwest city, famed as home of the Terracotta Warriors imperial site and other ancient marvels, said Janaline Oh, a spokeswoman for the Australian Embassy in Beijing.
Nine were quickly released but a 48-year old woman from the state of New South Wales was held by the man, Oh said.
"Chinese security authorities intervened and secured the release of the woman," Oh said by telephone. "The Australian government is pleased that the woman is now safe."
The official Xinhua news agency said the man, who was armed with explosives, seized the bus near the city's historic square and then took one tourist and a local translator hostage .
Police agreed to the attacker's demand for another vehicle, which then headed to the local airport until it was stopped near a toll booth.
"After repeated unsuccessful entreaties by the police, they took the resolute step of opening fire," Xinhua reported. "The hostages were safe and unscathed."
The report said police believed the man was named Xia Tao and was a worker in Xi'an. Police were still investigating the case and did not offer an explanation for the attack.
China has been preparing for an influx of foreign visitors for the Beijing Olympic Games opening in August, and the government has been at pains to highlight the security steps it is taking. The country is generally safe for visitors and attacks are rare.
Australian Embassy spokeswoman Oh said the Australian group would fly to Shanghai later on Wednesday, but she did not know their plans after that or whether they were returning home.