BEIJING, April 4, 2008 (AFP) - Chinese police opened fire during a 'riot' in a Tibetan populated area of southwest China, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

One local official was seriously wounded during the unrest, which took place on Thursday evening in Garze county of Sichuan province, Xinhua reported.

'Police were forced to fire warning shots and put down the violence,' Xinhua quoted an official with the local government as saying.