Bus explosions leaves two dead in southwest China city

Source: Xinhua | 07-21-2008 16:11

KUNMING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and 14 injured in two separate explosions on public buses in downtown Kunming city, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Monday morning.

Bus hit by an explosion is seen in Kunming, capital of  southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 21, 2008. Two  people were killed and 14 others injured in two separate  explosions on public buses in downtown Kunming on Monday  morning.(Xinhua Photo)

One explosion occurred on the West Renmin Road at 7:10 a.m., while the other happened at the nearby intersection of Changyuan Road and West Renmin Road at 8:05 a.m.

The dead were identified as Wang Dezhi, 30, a woman from Mouding in Chuxiong, Yunnan Province, and Chen Shifei, 26, a man from the province's Lijiang Educational Science College in Dayan Town, according to sources with the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Public Security.

Local police have reached a preliminarily judgement that the two explosions, which both were on the Route 54, were done deliberately.

The area around the site of the first explosion, which was cordoned off by the police, was scattered with broken glass and the front of the destroyed bus could be seen.

Policemen investigate at an explosion site in Kunming,  capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 21,  2008.(Xinhua Photo)

One witness recalled hearing a loud noise and then saw the bus blasted into pieces. The wreckage had been cleared by 9 a.m..

Explosion on another bus went off when the bus was about to reach its final stop, according to witnesses.

All the injured have been hospitalized.

Authorities in Yunnan have ordered transport departments to tighten security by increasing patrols and installing new checkup posts to prevent the perpetrators from fleeing.

Border guards have also tightened security at all border exit and entry points.

The police are investigating the case.