A government official from a Guangdong county allegedly killed his deputy Wednesday morning, the Guangzhou Daily said.

Local police alleged that the director of the ocean and fishery authority in Suixi County of Zhanjiang City, identified by surname Xuan, 56, confessed to his family that he had killed his deputy director.

The victim, identified as Chen, was on duty Jan. 3, the last day of the New Year holidays.

After having breakfast, Chen went to his office, which is only several hundred meters away from his home, the newspaper said.

Local police said when they arrived at the scene at 10:40 a.m., they found him lying beside a desk breathless, with the floor covered in blood.

Chen's forehead looked as if it had been severely beaten, and he had cuts to both of his wrists.

Xuan's family said he was acting unusually when he arrived home at 10:20 a.m., and attempted to kill himself by trying to throw himself out of the apartment window. However, Xuan was held back by his family and was said to have told them he had killed somebody.

His family talked him into surrendering to the police.

The motive is still unknown.

Editor: Yan