Suspect killed in Sichuan bus blast

Yibin municipal officials have identified the vistim of the bus blast on Monday in Sichuan province.[Photo from Sina weibo account of Yibin Government Information Office]

CHENGDU – The suspected culprit was the only fatal victim in a bus blast on Monday in Yibin, Southwest China's Sichuan province, municipal authorities said at a press conference early on Tuesday.

The man suspected of arson in the incident was identified as 51-year-old Yu Yuehai. The blast also injured 77 people, including passengers and rescuers, with 12 now in intensive care.

The blast occurred at 4:50 pm when the passenger bus was traveling along Nanmen Bridge, said Hu Jingwen, a 12-year-old girl who was sitting in the last row of the vehicle.

Hu said she smelled gasoline before the fire suddenly broke out at the back of the bus. She managed to escape from the back window with two of her classmates and is receiving treatment at No 3 People's Hospital of Yibin City.

According to the hospital, another eight injured people are receiving treatment there and another 16 were taken to two other hospitals.

Around 50 passengers were on the bus and most of them escaped through the front door, said Hu.