Bomb-making material found in suspect’s room
BEIJING: Investigators found material to make bombs at the house of the man suspected of carrying out a deadly blast near a kindergarten in eastern China, the local government said yesterday.
The suspect, identified as a 22-year-old, is among the dead, the Xuzhou city government in Jiangsu province said.
Authorities said eight people, including the suspect, died and dozens were injured in the explosion that occurred as relatives were waiting to pick up pupils from Chuangxin Kindergarten on Thursday.
The suspect, named Xu, was a Xuzhou resident who lived and worked near the kindergarten, police said. Authorities said he had dropped out of school after being diagnosed with an autonomic nervous system disorder, which has symptoms ranging from dizziness to digestive difficulties.
Investigators found material for making bombs in the room he was renting. On the walls, police said they found written words such as “death” and “kill.”
Police said they conducted DNA matching tests to prove Xu’s identity and have closed the investigation.
The blast took place as relatives were waiting to pick up pupils at the end of the school day.
Two people were found dead near the kindergarten entrance, and six died later in hospital, the local government said.
Sixty- five people were injured, including eight who were in a critical condition and receiving treatment at a Xuzhou hospital. Of the eight, four have been stabilised, the government said.
The kindergarten was still in session when the explosion happened, so no pupils or teachers were among those injured, officials said.
Attacks on kindergartens in China have happened before, usually by people who are mentally ill or who seek retaliation against employers or society.
Last month, a driver set fire to a school bus carrying children to a kindergarten, killing 11 pupils and a teacher. – dpa