Two police officers who failed to act when a 17-year-old girl was killed in a public stabbing in Bengbu, Anhui province, have been expelled from the force, people.com.cn reported on Wednesday.

The two officers, surnamed Song and Cui, both from the Macheng police station, were issued with administrative demerits and dismissed from the public security department, according to Bengbu police.

The Bengbu public security bureau also held a conference on improving emergency responses, on-site actions and discipline of the police.

The teenage supermarket cashier, surnamed Hu, was fatally stabbed in front of the two police officers, who were standing about 3 meters from the suspect, in Yuhui district, Bengbu, on Aug 18.

The officers did not react for about 10 seconds as the suspect stabbed the cashier with a kitchen knife eight times.