Police shot dead a man who held two businessmen hostage then detonated a small bomb in Henan Province on Saturday.

Li Jucai broke into a first-floor Fenghua Construction Machinery Co office in Shangqiu City at 12:20pm on Saturday, holding a package he claimed contained an explosive device. He held two managers hostage, Orient Today reported yesterday.

Li demanded 100,000 yuan (US$14,599) from the men as he claimed to have bought three machines from the company for 35,000 yuan each in October. He said the machines had quality problems and he demanded 100,000 yuan in compensation. Li claimed they would die together if he didn't get the money.

"The man was very emotional at that time and he was itching to detonate the bomb immediately," a witness was quoted as saying. The witness called police at 12:26pm. They arrived 14 minutes later.

Zhu Peijun, director of the area's police station, ordered an evacuation of all nearby buildings and began negotiations with the hostage taker.

Zhu talked with the man until 3:20pm, when police confirmed Li had a remote-controlled explosive and they knew the positions of the hostages, the report said.

Li, a native of Hunan Province, demanded the money and a car.

Li released the hostages and at 5 pm policemen rushed into the office. Li detonated the small bomb and was then shot dead by police, according to the newspaper report.

(Shanghai Daily December 9, 2008)