A millionaire and his family were murdered at their home on Saturday morning in northeast China's Jilin Province, while the family maid was also seriously wounded, the Beijing News reported on Sunday.

Cai Kuanxi, 48, known as the richest man in Wangqing County of Jilin, was stabbed to death in his two-story villa along with his wife, 22-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter, the report said.

His family maid suffered three stabbing wounds in her right hand and legs, and is still in critical conditions in the hospital.

Neighbors said they had heard screams from Cai's house in the middle of the night but thought it was only a family fight.

They also said Cai's family were kind and had never quarreled with neighbors.

Local police are investigating the case, but the motive of the murder is still unknown.

Cai, project manager of a construction company in Wangqing, was in charge of the construction of an office building and a residential compound of the county's water conservancy and electric power bureau before he was murdered.

He was said to have more than 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) in his bank accounts and also possess four cars.

(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2005)