TAIYUAN - A woman died after falling suddenly ill in a police station in North China's Shanxi province, where she was being questioned over her husband's alleged fatal stabbing of a government employee in a relocation dispute, provincial police said on Saturday.

Qiao Xianglian became sick in the police bureau of Shuocheng district, Shuozhou city, and died in a local hospital, according to a statement from the provincial police department.

The police have audio and video recordings of Qiao's stay in the station. As soon as she fell ill just before 4 pm, she was sent to the hospital and died at 7:23 pm, the statement said.

The previous day, Qiao's husband, Wu Xuewen, allegedly wielded a knife and threw bricks at a group of government employees who had demanded he leave his house, which had been scheduled for demolition, the statement said.

Liu Zhixiu, head of Shuocheng district's housing and development bureau, tried to persuade Wu to stop resisting. During a meeting, Wu took out a dagger and stabbed Liu several times, according to the statement.

Then, Wu stabbed Zhong Wei, an employee of the bureau, who had come to help Liu. Zhong died in hospital while Liu was in a stable condition. Wu Xuewen was in police custody, it added.

In another incident, last Thursday a farmer in Ankang, Shaanxi province, set fire to himself in protest over demolition disputes.

Ji Wenxing, 47, appealed to officials of Hanbin district and the highway administration to solve his housing problem while they were removing a pile of mud in front of a school.

The appeal became a quarrel. Ji left and returned soon after with a barrel of gasoline. He then poured the gasoline on himself and lit it.

Ji had to jump into a ditch with water in it to extinguish the fire. Local officials took him to the hospital. He is temporarily out of danger, doctors said.

Ji's house was demolished due to the construction of the Shi-Tian highway.

According to preliminary investigation by the government, Ji signed an agreement with Hanbin district officials and the highway administration over the settlement allowance in September, 2009.

The Hanbin district office paid him the allowance and selected the location for his resettlement.

However, after an increase in the construction cost and problems with the location, Ji became angry at officials at the Hanbin district office.

The government says the restitution measures are being carried out.

The incident is being investigated.

Xinhua - China Daily

(China Daily 06/27/2011 page4)