8 killed, 65 wounded in preschool explosion in eastern China

World Today

A 22-year-old-man with the surname Xu was responsible for the explosion near a kindergarten in Fengxian County, eastern China’s Jiangsu Province that left at least eight people dead, police said on Friday.

The explosion happened at around 16:48 local time (0848 GMT) on Thursday afternoon.

Sixty-five people were injured and taken to hospital.

Of the eight people in critical condition, four are now out of danger.

The suspect, who was also killed in the explosion, assembled an explosive device and detonated it outside the kindergarten when parents were picking up their children.

Media reports said that the man was going through difficulties and suffered from a neurological disease known as vegetative dystonia, which is characterized by a disorder of functions and senses of the body without any underlying organic cause.

Police investigators found explosive materials in Xu’s rented home and the walls were covered with words such as “death,” “deceased,” and “extinction”.
Eight people have died and 65 were injured after an explosion near a preschool in Fengxian County in east China’s Jiangsu province Thursday afternoon, local authorities said.

China’s Ministry of Education issued instructions on Friday requiring enhanced safety checks on campuses around the country. 

The decision comes following an explosion near a kindergarten in eastern Jiangsu Province on Thursday afternoon which left eight people dead and 65 others injured. 

The ministry circular requires education departments and schools to carry out comprehensive checks on potential safety loopholes in cooperation with various authorities.

The ministry also called for timely handling of disputes related to schools to eliminate potential risks.

Story compiled with information from CGTN and Xinhua News Agency.