CHENGDU - Judicial authorities on Thursday formally approved the arrest of a man suspected of stabbing passengers on a bus in Southwest China's Sichuan province.?

The suspect, identified as Li Nianyong, allegedly wielded a knife at 8:45 pm on Sunday and started to stab passengers on the No 42 bus running through downtown Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, according to an investigation by the People's Procuratorate of Chengdu.

Li exited the bus shortly thereafter and continued attacking people on the street before police opened fire and subdued him, said the procuratorate.

Five people were killed and ten others were injured in the incident.

Further investigation into the case is under way.