Blast in Heilongjiang restaurant injures two police officers

An explosion ripped through a fast-food restaurant in Heilongjiang province yesterday, but police were able to evacuate the premises after receiving a rare warning by phone.

Two police officers suffered burns in the blast but customers and staff of the Dicos restaurant in Anda city were evacuated in time and no civilian casualties were reported.

Police said the morning explosion was a suspected "revenge" act, without further elaboration. But analysts said such attacks were getting more sophisticated amid growing violence over various social grievances on the mainland.

Local authorities said police received a warning call four minutes before the explosion.

Police confirmed that an explosive device was left on the stairway leading to the first floor, and that they had an image of the suspect, China Central Television reported.

A man came into the restaurant, in the centre of the city, and left a bag inside, the Heilongjiang Morning Post reported, citing a witness. The man then alerted the restaurant by phone and a staff member called police, the newspaper said.

Li Wei, a Beijing-based anti-terror expert, said the explosion appeared to have been motivated by personal reasons. But unlike past patterns of social violence, the method was similar to terror attacks abroad.