A person detonated a bomb outside the United States embassy in Beijing on Thursday. The bomber wounded his hand during the explosion, but suffered no critical injuries and was taken to a hospital, BBC reported. No one else was injured.
“There was an explosion at approximately 1 pm [10.30 am Indian Standard Time] in the public space off the south-east corner of the embassy compound,” an unidentified US embassy spokesperson told The Guardian. “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.”
The Beijing police said a “suspected firecracker device” caused a fire, BBC reported. Pictures and videos on social media showed smoke surrounding the building.
The Beijing Police had apprehended a woman who allegedly attempted to immolate herself outside the embassy around 11 am local time (8.30 am IST), the state-run Global Times said quoting witness accounts. The embassy has now been cordoned off. It is not known whether the two incidents are linked.
The building, located in Chaoyang district, is close to the Indian embassy.
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