18 dead in oil truck explosion in China; over 100 injured: Report
The force of the blast caused nearby homes and factories to collapse, the government said on social media.sns
A loud blast occurred near the US embassy in Beijing on Thursday. No casualties have been reported so far in the incident.
According to media reports, smoke could be seen in the air outside the diplomatic compound in the Chinese capital after the blast was heard.
The person, who reportedly detonated the explosive, is the only one who is injured, as per reports.
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The location appeared to be near the place where Chinese citizens typically line up to enter the US embassy for visa interviews.
The diplomatic area where the incident took place is on the outskirts of Beijing and home to several embassies, including those of the United States, India and Israel.
Confirming the reports of explosion, the US embassy in Beijing said there was one individual who detonated a bomb.
“There was an explosion at approximately 1pm today in the public space off the southeast corner of the embassy compound. According to the embassy’s regional security officer, there was one individual who detonated a bomb. Other than the bomber, there were no injuries. The local police responded,” an embassy spokeswoman was quoted as saying in the South China Morning Post.
While several media reports claim that a man detonated the explosives, unconfirmed reports said the incident was a self-immolation attempt by a Chinese woman who had been detained.
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