Explosions in Taiyuan

Xinhua (along with everyone else) is reporting that several explosions have hit downtown Taiyuan, striking near the provincial party headquarters.   There are reports of ball bearings being found at the site, possibly indicating that this wasn't an accident and IED were involved.

“There were several explosions caused by small explosive devices near the  party provincial commission in Taiyuan,” the capital of the northern province  of Shanxi, local police said on a verified social media account.

Pictures have been posted on Weibo, they show that the area has been cleared by police, and one in particular shows a body lying in the road.  Xinhua has reported that at least one person has been killed, and a a gas leaked contributed to the blast.

[caption id="attachment_2418" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Metal pellets found at the scene of today's bombing in Taiyuan[/caption]

Typically in cases like these, the politicians are keeping a tight control on what exactly the press can and can't publish (we don't want any rumours to spread on the Chinese intertubes, remember), so what is coming out on social networks by eyewitnesses is about as good as the news coverage is going to get.

 

Related articles

• Taiyuan: Explosions Outside Communist Party Building in China's Shanxi Province


• Explosions occur in Taiyuan, casualties unknown - Xinhua


• RPT-Explosions reported in north China city of Taiyuan - Xinhua - Reuters


• Explosions reported outside Communist Party Headquarters in Taiyuan, China


• Explosions reported in north China city of Taiyuan


• China blasts at Communist Party HQ

Beijing Airport Bomber to Stand Trial

Ji Zhongxing, the wheelchair bound bomber who detonated a homemade bomb at Beijing Airport is due to stand trial tomorrow.  Ji, who has been petitioning the government seeking compensation for the alleged beating that he received at the hands of the chengguan (who else?) in his home province of Shandong that left him crippled.

When he was arrested, human rights lawyer Liu Xiaoyuan who represented Ai Wei Wei said that he would be willing to provide legal assistance.  The minor explosion at the airport damaged Ji arm, who was immediately rushed to hospital, caused little damage and the blast wasn't powerful enough to cause any other damage.  The Global Time reports:

Ji Zhongxing, a 33-year-old wheelchair-bound man from Juancheng, Shandong Province, confessed that he prepared and carried the homemade explosive device and leaflets to Terminal 3 of the airport and triggered the explosive device on July 20.

Ji has been blogging (translation via The Shanghaiist) about his failed attempts to get compensation off the government - he's been demanding 334,782 yuan, including the medical fees of 14,300rmb, plus the 20 years salary that his disability has prevented him from earning.