A zookeeper has died after being attacked by a tiger at a zoo in east China's Jiangxi Province on Friday, March 27, Xinhua reports.

The accident happened at the zoo in Chuntai Park, Yichun City, in the early hours of Friday.

The local authorities said that the tiger pounced on and bit the zookeeper, identified as Gong, who was cleaning the tiger's enclosure.

However, other zoo staff rushed to drive away the tiger and injected it with tranquilizers.

In spite of treatment, Gong, who suffered serious injuries, died about an hour after the attack.

According to the local government officials, they will deal with the aftermath.