A 42-year-old resident of eastern Siberia was held over a stabbing rampage that he concluded by dining on his own dog, Irkutsk region police said.

The man attacked people in the streets of Irkutsk in three isolated incidents, stabbing one passer-by to death and injuring two others, both pensioners, police said in a statement.

None of the numerous witnesses moved to intervene or even alert police, who were only informed about the incident by one of the surviving victims, police said on Friday.

A citywide search operation resulted in the man being tracked and detained. He fled his home in an unsuccessful attempt to escape arrest, abandoning his dinner, which consisted of dog meat.

The suspect, whose name was withheld, pleaded guilty, but failed to explain why he stabbed people or ate his dog.

A case was opened on charges of intentionally inflicting grave bodily harm, punishable with up to 15 years in prison. However, the man may escape jail if a pending psychiatric check will rule him insane.