Beijing blast LIVE Updates: A blast was reported near the United States Embassy in Beijing on Thursday morning. The explosion reportedly took place in front of the US Embassy in Beijing when a man tried to hurl a homemade bomb into the gated compound. However, the bomb exploded before he could have tossed it over the fence, causing confusion and panic in the street. Photos posted on Twitter showed a large amount of smoke and what appeared to be police vehicles surrounding the vast structure in northeastern Beijing on Thursday afternoon. The police is yet to comment on the blast and have not confirmed its nature.
More photos posted online showed smoke filling the street, cordon and a road partially blocked by police as eyewitnesses gather outside the compound. One person in normal clothes is kneeling next to the tarpaulin as armed soldiers stood guard.
Highlights
'There was an explosion at approximately 1pm today in public space off the southeast corner of US embassy. According to the embassy’s regional security officer, there was one individual who detonated a bomb. Other than the bomber, there were no injuries', reports The Strait Times.
The ruling Communist Party newspaper Global Times said police "took away a woman spraying gasoline on herself in suspected attempt at self-immolation'' at around 11 a.m. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries, and apart from a heightened security presence, traffic and ordinary life appeared to be proceeding as normal at 2:30 in the afternoon.
The police is trying to take the situation under control. Here is the latest image from China -
The United States Embassy is located in northeastern part of the Chinese capital - Beijing. It is a well-protected compound. The new facility opened in 2008 with a dedication ceremony.
Even though US Embassies have been targeted in the past around the globe, there have been no attack on any US embassies or consulates in China.
The most deadly attack on US embassies happened on August 7, 1998, when al-Qaeda operatives simultaneously detonated car bombs outside the US embassies in the Kenyan capital Nairobi and the Tanzanian capital Dar Es Salaam. The attacks were masterminded by Osama bin Laden and 224 people had lost their life.
The blast took place amid the trade dispute between China and the United States. However, America remains a hugely popular destination for travel, education and immigration for Chinese.
Witness Jimmy Zhong tweeted: “Something just exploded at the US Embassy in Beijing, China just a few min ago. Smoke everywhere.”
ANI reports citing resources that it was a very low-intensity blast close to the Indian Embassy (near US Embassy). It added that there are no reports of fatalities or injury and the police is investigating. 'There was no harm to Indian Embassy or any staff,' the source added.
The video of the incident shows smoke around the area.
There is no information about the bomber but a video of the incident that surfaced on the internet showed security personnel, including military and police, working around something under a blue tarpaulin within a cordon.