A traffic policeman in southwestern Yunnan Province died Monday after fighting with two robbers on street and being stabbed by one of them.

Li Hongzhuan, 30, on his way back home after work stopped a man who was robbing a woman of her gold bracelet and tried to control the robber, while another man with a knife stabbed Li in his left chest, said Zhao Xiangrong, deputy director of the Mengzi County public security bureau, where Li had worked.

Li was sent to hospital but died twenty minutes later.

"Li died of huge blood loss as he was stabbed in the heart," said a doctor surnamed Zhang.

Li had been newly married for one year, and his father, who had heart problems, was emotionally unstable after getting the news, Zhao Xiangrong said.

The two suspects, both young men, ran away amid chaos, Zhao said.

"We have been working with public security bureaus in nearby counties to get the suspects and we'll try to solve the case as soon as possible," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency November 18, 2008)