HANOI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) — Two officials were shot dead by a fellow official, who then committed suicide in Vietnam's northern Yen Bai Province on Thursday, local media reported.   

The incident happened at around 7:45 a.m. local time. Do Cuong Minh, chief of Yen Bai sub-department of forest protection, entered the office of Pham Duy Cuong, Yen Bai provincial party secretary and Ngo Ngoc Tuan, chairman of Yen Bai People's Council,  and started firing at the two officers.

He then shot himself at the head and died, local Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper reported on Thursday.

Minh was appointed chief of Yen Bai sub-department of forest protection in March 2014.

Cuong, born in 1958, was re-elected as Yen Bai provincial party secretary for the 2015-2020 term while Tuan, born in 1964, served as chairman of Yen Bai People's Council and head of Yen Bai provincial party organization committee.

The second session of the Yen Bai People's Council, originally scheduled at 8:00 a.m. local time Thursday, was canceled after the shooting.