At least two passers-by were killed and more than 10 others injured in a massive blast, reportedly set off by someone armed with a bomb who tried to rob a bank in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, yesterday.
According to pictures and footage taken at the scene and widely circulated on microblogs, some vehicles parked outside the bank were badly damaged, along with the building's facade.
Some victims were seen lying on the dust-covered ground.
The explosion also created a large crater on the ground near the bank's entrance, Wuhan's Chutian Metropolis News reported on its website.
A police officer with the Guangshan public security unit in Hongshan district, where the bank is located, confirmed that the explosion had occurred outside a branch of China Construction Bank at 5.37pm.
'About six or seven injured victims, some of whom may since have died, were sent to a nearby hospital,' he said.
Among the casualties was a woman in her 20s, who died in the blast, a report by Hubei TV said.