BEIJING: Police in northern China say seven people were killed in an arson attack linked to a family dispute.

The dead included a couple surnamed Lu, their three children and Lu's father and father-in-law.

Lu's younger brother has been arrested after attempting to kill himself, with police suspecting he set fire to the family home in Shaanxi province's Long county early Tuesday.

China closely regulates firearms, making attacks with knives, fire and homemade explosives the most common means of violence.

Police in the northwest said Wednesday a man who suspected his wife of committing adultery was accused of killing eight people and injuring seven others with a knife in a drunken rage.

A police statement identified the suspect as a 49-year-old, identified only by the surname Guo.