Rome, March 7 (IANS/AKI): A pistol-wielding bankrupt man stormed into a government office in central Italy's Perugia city and singled out two women employees who he shot dead before committing suicide.

The 43-year-old man was identified as Andrea Zampi. His family owns a small training company in Perugia.

The man entered the government office building brandishing a pistol, and shouted, "You've ruined me, you've ruined me", to workers before firing a shot in the air.

He then shut himself in a room with 61-year-old Margherita Peccati, a director of the Umbria region and one of its consultants, 46-year-old Daniela Crispolti, and shot both women dead, before turning the gun on himself.

Witnesses said the two women were not involved in withholding a payment of 100,000 euros by the Umbria region to Zampi's company.

They were holding a meeting in one of the offices when he entered the room and fired some 10 bullets at them, possibly because he was able to corner them.

Perugia mayor Wladimiro Bocali described Zampi as "a psychologically disturbed person".

Many desperate business people have taken their own lives during Italy's current recession.

A postmistress died after a disgruntled employee shot her three times with a pistol in Naples last year after she sacked him.