Bomb attack in bus kills at least two in central China

At least two people died and about 10 were injured after an explosion in a bus in the central Chinese city of Changsha on Wednesday afternoon, reports said.

The explosion caused a fire that completely gutted the bus, which had been en route from Changsha’s Huanghua Airport to the city centre.

Emergency workers recovered two bodies and said at least 10 people were injured, two of them seriously, state radio said.

Witnesses said passengers began smashing windows to escape from the bus after they saw a man throw a burning bag from the back of the bus.

An explosion ripped through the vehicle shortly after the bag was thrown, the report said.

Other local media said one passenger reported seeing a man aged about 30 twice using a lighter to ignite a canvas bag that smelt of petrol.

The man then rushed from the bus and the explosion followed less than a minute later, the passenger was quoted as saying.

The reports did not say if the man suspected of the bombing was among the victims.

The official Xinhua news agency ran a brief report quoting police as saying the explosion and fire left “about a dozen” passengers dead or injured.