Society

Serial explosions kill 2, suspect dead

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-26 12:39

Heavy smoke is seen after an explosion in Linchuan district of Fuzhou city in East China's Jiangxi province May 26. [Photo/people.com.cn]

FUZHOU, Jiangxi - Two people, including the suspect, were killed and 10 others injured in three serial explosions that occurred in East China's Jiangxi province Thursday morning, according to local authorities.

Qian Mingqi, a 52-year-old unemployed resident of the city of Fuzhou's Linchuan district, is suspected of triggering the explosions, sources with the provincial public security department said.

Qian was killed in one of the blasts, the sources said.

The explosions occurred at three different locations in Fuzhou between 9:18 am and 9:45 am, according to the sources. The explosions occurred near the city's procuratorate office, the Linchuan district government office and the district's food and drug administration, the sources said.

Police wrapped up search and rescue operations outside the Linchuan district government office Thursday afternoon and retrieved one body, which was later confirmed to be Qian.

One of the four people who were seriously injured at the same site died in hospital, a spokesman with the provincial government said.

Seven others were slightly injured, the spokesman said.

A witness said the blast shattered most of the windowpanes in the procuratorate office. A nearby car was also destroyed, the witness said.

Witnesses said the blast near the Linchuan district government went off in a car park less than 100 meters from the office building and destroyed at least 10 vehicles.

A source with the Linchuan district government said Qian was involved in a house demolition dispute, triggering suspicions that he might've set off the explosions as a form of revenge against the local government.

Qian's microblog, hosted by Chinese web portal sina.com, was tracked by Internet users after the explosions.

Qian left a message on his microblog, saying he was forced to "step on a road I don't want to step on" due to the loss of his newly-built house, which was "illegally demolished," according to his blog.

Sources with the Linchuan government said Qian was not satisfied with his compensation and was angry about a case currently under review by legal authorities.