A Vietnamese technical trainee was arrested on Monday for allegedly killing a compatriot in Hokkaido, northern Japan, police said.

Nguyen Ngoc Tung, a construction worker from Asahikawa, admitted to killing Than Van Nghia, also a technical intern, at Hokkaido Railway Co.'s Asahikawa Station, according to the police.

Tung, 24, allegedly stabbed Nghia, 35, in the neck and other parts of the body with a knife several times around 4:40 p.m. on Sunday, they said.


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The police cited eyewitnesses as saying the two were quarreling before the alleged stabbing.

The police took Tung into custody about three hours later after he fled the scene by taxi.

According to the taxi company, the suspect gave his address to the taxi driver in broken Japanese, and appeared nervous.

After exiting the taxi, the driver saw Tung throw an object into a bin at a nearby apartment building.

Japan established the technical internship program in 1993, aiming to transfer knowledge and skills to developing countries.