HEFEI, Oct. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Eighteen people, including 16 children, were injured in a shooting incident that happened Wednesday morning in a primary school in Guangde County of east China's Anhui Province, local government sources confirmed on Thursday.

    Eleven slightly-injured people have been discharged from hospital and seven others who were seriously injured are being treated in Jiuba Hospital of Huzhou City in neighboring Zhejiang Province, local hospital sources said.

    Police is hunting for Liu Shibing, who fired at the pupils and escaped afterwards.

    Liu, 33, fired with his home-made guns at children doing morning exercises at the Niutoushan Primary School of Liudong Township at 8:13 a.m. Wednesday, and 16 pupils were wounded. School head Chen Yubin was also hurt by the gun fire.

    Liu escaped after knocking down Chen Yongfeng, a villager who was installing cable TV transmission lines near the school when the shooting accident took place, and trying to stop him from shooting.

    Chen recalled, when he heard the first shot, he thought it was an explosion in a nearby quarry. On hearing the second bang, Chen saw a man rushing to the school gate and then returning to the school courtyard quickly before the third shot came.

    Chen rushed to the school gate and found three home-made guns on the ground. Liu was just back to the school gate and threw himself to Chen when he found that Chen was picking up his guns. The man hit Chen's head with the gunstock and then ran away with his guns.

    Investigations show that Liu, a mental patient, brought six home-made guns to the school. The powder he used in shooting was what is used to make firecrackers.

    Villagers said that Liu was single and he envies his peers who have children. Liu once said, "I have no children and I would kill other people's children."

    More than 200 policemen were dispatched to hunt for the escapee, according to local officials. Enditem