Suicide Bomber Wanted Salary, Officials Say It Was Extortion
by Peter Barefoot on Monday, January 21, 2013
From Sohu:
Man Demanding Salary Detonates Explosive Killing 1 Wounding 7, Officials Claim It Was Extortion
A man asking for his salary detonated a bomb strapped to himself
An explosion occurred in the Guangzhou Tianhe Doushi Huating Community this afternoon causing 1 death and 7 wounded
At 3:53pm this afternoon [January 18], an explosion happened in an apartment building in Guangzhou’s Tianhebei Road Dushi Huating Community. Upon report, Guangzhou Police quickly dispatched police officers and firefighters to the scene to handle the situation, evacuate the surrounding people, and immediately take the injured to the hospital for emergency treatment.
According to the preliminary investigation by the police, in the afternoon, a man arrived at a company in Tianhebei Road Dushi Huating Community to ask for his salary, then detonated the explosive strapped to his body. The man died of his severe injuries. At present, this incident has already caused 1 death and 7 wounded. Police are currently investigating this incident.
More reports
According to Ms. Guo who works on the 30th floor, she heard the explosion as soon as she walked out of the elevator and stepped into the office. The elevator immediately stopped working, the entire door deformed and emitting thick smoke. Half an hour later, all personnel in the office were evacuated due to the heavy smoke, but because the elevator could no longer be used, they all climbed up to the top of the building on the 32nd floor. 4 or 5 wounded people were found sitting or lying down, their entire bodies burnt black, clothes torn and ripped, bodies covered with blood. There might have been other wounded people. The other elevator was used to carry the wounded.
Guangzhou City Tianhe District Party Committee Propaganda Department Press Section Chief Li Bin claimed: This man wasn’t actually demanding his salary, but rather committing extortion. Li Bin also indicated that further information would be released tonight.
