Bombing ends family peace talks
Nine people were killed and 25 injured in a bomb explosion at a village restaurant in Hunan province after being invited to a dinner to resolve a family dispute.
A Hunan Public Security Bureau spokeswoman confirmed yesterday that the explosion had happened in a hotel restaurant in Liuyang's Wenjiashi township on Sunday night. 'We believe it was a premeditated criminal act but we can't tell you the exact casualties because we are still investigating,' she said.
According to Xinhua, the explosion killed at least nine and injured 25. It said a villager, who was not identified, had invited more than 30 people to the restaurant to resolve a family dispute.
The report said those invited thought the villager wanted to apologise at the party. But instead of an apology, the villager set off a bomb. The report did not say whether the suspect had been injured.
Xinhua said provincial leaders including governor Zhou Qiang , his deputy Guo Kailang , Hunan police chief Li Jiang , and Changsha party secretary Chen Runer had ordered a team be set up to deal with the aftermath and ensure 'social stability'.
