Six people were found shot dead and another person critically injured early Monday in a Chinese restaurant in the German town of Sittensen, 45 km southwest of Hamburg.

A man alerted the police at 12:30 local time (11:30 GMT) when he went to retrieve his wife from work in the Lin Yue restaurant, German news agency DPA reported.

The man's wife was among the six dead and one of the restaurant staff survived and was receiving treatment in the hospital, police was quoted by DPA as saying.

A murder inquiry has been launched, but police said they still have no clue to any suspects and the possible reason behind the attack. Police were searching for people who dined at the restaurant on Sunday night.

DPA said that the victims, all of Asian appearance, were being identified and results would come out by late Monday.

Well-informed sources told Xinhua that no one among the victims was of Chinese nationality.

(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2007)