Series of explosions across southwest China, parcel bombs suspected

World Today

Series of explosions across southwest China

A series of explosions in southwest China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Wednesday afternoon have left at least seven people dead and up to 51 injured and two missing, according to Thepaper.cn.

The official Xinhua news agency said police had determined the blasts were a “criminal” act and identified the suspect as a 33-year-old local man surnamed Wei, but added the investigation was continuing.

Media images showed a collapsed building, smoke and streets strewn with rubble in Liuzhou in Guangxi region. Two people were missing, state radio said on its microblog.

Bombs were sent to 13 places ranging from hospitals and shopping malls to prisons and government offices, reports said, adding that a terrorist attack had been ruled out.

The Ministry of Public Security has sent a team of experts to help with the investigation, Xinhua said.

Guangxi sits on the border with Vietnam and has several ethnic minorities, but is generally peaceful.

South China Daily news reports, “Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday evening, Liucheng county public security political commissar Cai Tianlai said a total of 60 suspicious courier parcels had been identified.

The city of Liuzhou, 48 kilometers (30 miles) away from the county, also reported an explosion on the same day.

The county’s authority has warned residents not to open any parcel sent to them.  

Information from Xinhua, CCTV News and Reuters. 

Video from Tencent. 

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