12 injured as angry man blows up office

Source: Shanghai Daily  |   2008-7-3  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

TWELVE people were hurt when a man, angry at the demolition of his property, blew up a government office in central China's Hunan Province yesterday.

Five suffered serious wounds but none was in a critical condition.

The man drove a three-wheeled vehicle into the subdistrict government building in Xixiping neighborhood of Zhangjiajie City, according to a report on rednet.cn, an official Hunan news site.

"The vehicle, with two already lit cooking gas bottles, sped into the courtyard and exploded in front of the office building," the report said.

All the injured were rushed to a local hospital.

The man was "dissatisfied over the lawful demolition of his illegal buildings,'' the report said, adding he was arrested minutes after the blast.

The suspect, identified as Tian, is from the Pengjiaxiang community, Xinhua news agency said.

Another report carried on Chinese Websites said the explosion smashed windows of houses nearby.