A school principal was stabbed to death while trying to stop a man and a woman who had critically wounded a third-grade pupil at a primary school in Shangmei township, Hunan province.

According to reports, the pupil, surnamed Wang, was first sent to a hospital in Xinhua county, then moved to a better facility in Loudi. But doctors said Wang was critically injured and may not survive.

The attack occurred around 1 pm on Tuesday.