A man injures 10 students with a knife at the gate of Yangfan Primary School in Haikou, capital of South China's island province of Hainan, on Feb 29, 2016. [Photo/Weibo]

A man injured 10 students with a knife at a primary school in Haikou, capital of South China's island province of Hainan, and killed himself after the attack, local news portal hinews.cn reported.

The man attacked the students as they were leaving for home Monday lunchtime at the gate of Yangfan Primary School, witnesses said. One said the man mainly attacked students' heads before escaping.

Police cordoned off the site where blood and items belonging to students, such as shoes, were seen on the ground, hinews.cn reported.

Police said six boys and four girls were injured, including two in critical condition, and they were sent to nearby hospitals.

The man, Li Sijun, 45, was found dead in a nearby street, and police said he killed himself. Police have not released further information on the attack.

A medical worker at the No 187 Hospital in the city said one boy and one girl had been sent to the hospital, and that the girl was in a critical condition.

Three injured students were sent to the Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University where they received medical treatment, hinews.cn reported.

The mother of an injured student said the wound on her child's head was very deep and doctors had told her to keep the girl in hospital for further examination.

Another mother said she knew her son was injured only when she looked for him at school after he did not return home at noon.

"I thought my son was safe at school. I never thought such a thing could happen," she said.