Rush hour mystery bus blast in China kills 1, injures 42
- Police are investigating the cause of the explosion in the northeastern city of Shenyang, a two-hour flight from Beijing
- The incident comes at a sensitive time for public security issues with the Beijing Olympics in their second week
The cause of the rush hour blast in Shenyang, provincial capital of Liaoning, is under investigation, but it comes at a sensitive time for the Chinese government, which is keen to avoid any security issues during the Games.
Witnesses told state broadcaster CCTV that the bus did not catch fire, while video circulating online shows the vehicle with its windows shattered, surrounded by debris and ambulances ready to take the injured to hospital.
A trader at a nearby shop said the wreck “was deformed, and the floor was full of glass fragments”, according to online Jimu News, based in Hubei province. The blast also shattered the windshield of a parked car.
A cordon was set up around the blast site and surrounding roads were blocked as emergency workers dealt with the injured and made sure the area was safe.
Shenyang police have given no update since their post on Saturday to social media platform Weibo, which said they were alerted to the explosion at 5.55pm.
“After receiving the alarm, provincial and municipal leaders and personnel from public security, emergency, first aid and other departments rushed to the scene for disposal as soon as possible,” the post read.
In addition to the strict isolation bubble to prevent a Covid-19 outbreak, public security measures during the Olympics have also been ramped up.
A month before the Games, the Ministry of Public Security said detailed security protocols would be deployed to “create a safe, stable and harmonious social environment for the Winter Olympics” with “zero mistakes” and “zero accidents” in all areas.
This is the second time in less than five months that an explosion has rocked the industrial city of Shenyang, which is also a regional transport and communications hub.
