China: Explosion outside US Embassy in Beijing
Suspect used fireworks, firecrackers as explosives; no casualties reported, say Beijing police
By Gamze Turkoglu Oguz
ANKARA
A fireworks explosion was apparently set off by one man outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Thursday, Chinese media and witnesses reported.
According to eyewitnesses, a huge blast was followed by a cloud of smoke at the embassy entrance.
Chinese police surrounded the embassy and closed off the street where it is located.
Geng Shuang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told a press conference that the explosion was an isolated security incident that was dealt with quickly and appropriately, with no casualties.
The Beijing Police Department identified the suspect on its website as a 26-year-old male from the Inner Mongolia region who used fireworks and firecrackers as explosives.
On its official WeChat account, the U.S. Embassy said that the blast affected no one but the suspect himself.
While the suspect receives treatment, the investigation continues.
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