BEIJING : In new twist to China’s serial parcel bomb blasts, a disgruntled man suspected to be behind the attack was himself killed in one of the 18 explosions that claimed 10 lives and injured over 50 others, state media reported today.
Wei Yinyong, 33, assembled homemade time bombs and disguised them as packages to revenge some villagers and institutions that he had disputes with in quarrying business, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a police statement.
Wei personally delivered and hired other people to send the bombs to different locations in south China’s Liuzhou city and was himself killed by the blast at the crime scene, the report said.
Reports said 10 persons were killed and 51 others injured in 18 explosions that struck within two days in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and destroyed several buildings.
Yesterday, official media reports had said Wei was arrested. Wei reportedly hired vendors to deliver parcel bombs which exploded when opened.
The Ministry of Public Security said it was treating the explosions in the city as criminal acts, and ruled out terrorism as a motive, China Daily reported.
“It was a premeditated and planned criminal act, aimed at creating public panic during the holiday,” said Dai Peng, director of the Criminal Investigation College at the People’s Public Security University of China.
China has shut down for a week to celebrate the National Day since yesterday.
The multiple explosions targeted a shopping mall, a prison, a government building, a supermarket and a hospital.
Wei hailed from Dapu township, and was a former employee of a quarry in Liucheng county.
Some of the bombs were placed at the locations in advance and then detonated remotely, such as the device that wrecked the dormitory of the Animal Husbandry Bureau in Liucheng, killing four people and injuring many others.
Yesterday, Cai Tianlai, a senior officer at the Liucheng County Public Security Bureau, said officers discovered more than 60 suspicious packages after tipoffs from the public.
The packages were placed in an isolation area, where experts disarmed them and began further investigations, he said.
The authorities in Liuzhou have tightened supervision of the delivery of packages, and the local branch of the state- owned China Post has halted all mail deliveries until tomorrow.
The Liuzhou police warned the public not to accept materials delivered by strangers or accept parcels received via unofficial channels.
They said further investigations were underway. (PTI)