Thirteen middle school children were injured when an enraged man, upset by a court ruling in the murder of his daughter, rammed his car loaded with a gas tank and firecrackers into a group of 23 students in northern China, officials said today.        

Divorced and without a stable job, the man, identified as 48-year-old Yin Tiejun drove his vehicle right into the group of students of Fengning No 1 Middle School at the Manchu Autonomous County of Fengning in Hebei Province, even though they had nothing to do with his daughter's murder.         Of the 13 students were hospitalised with injuries that included skull fractures and crushed feet.        

Police said after the accident Yin lit a bottle of diesel, trying to burn down the car after hitting the students. Police officers, who put out the fire, found a gas tank and firecrackers in the trunk of the car.        

Yin claimed during interrogation that these were not meant for the attack. Police cleared Yin of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.        

They said he was upset with a court ruling that did not sentence all his daughter's murderers to death. Yin was detained on charges of endangering public safety.