Bus blast victim out of life threatening danger

By Lydia Chen  |   2008-7-22  |     ONLINE EDITION

THE victim who was seriously injured in one of two bus blasts yesterday in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, is now out of life threatening danger.

The woman, whose background remains unknown, is now in the intensive care unit of the First Hospital of Kunming Medical College but is out of danger and likely to survive, a doctor surnamed Huang at the hospital told Yunnan.cn, the official news Website portal of the southeastern province which reported the news today.

She was the only one seriously injured among the 14 injured in the two blasts—both on No. 54 Bus, that killed two people yesterday morning.

The first blast occurred when a No. 54 bus exploded after pulling over at the Panjiawan stop near the intersection of Renmin Road W. and Xichang Road at 7:10am.

More than 20 passengers escaped from the bus immediately after the blast.

The blast killed a 29-year-old woman named Wang Dezhi at the scene and injured 10 others.

The woman now in intensive care, who was once in life-threatening danger, was seriously hurt in this blast.

The dead victim Wang, a native of Chuxiong City of Yunnan, and her husband were on the way home to celebrate their child's birthday when the bomb exploded.

Wang's husband was slightly injured and is being treated in hospital.

Just one hour later, another bomb exploded on another No. 54 bus with about 30 passengers, according to China Central Television Station.

This time one person was killed and four were injured.

The dead man was identified as Chen Shifei, a 26-year-old native of Yunnan's Lijiang City.

One of the 14 injured is a driver and the rest are passengers. Most of the injured have inner-ear injuries and are in shock and reluctant to talk, Xinhua news agency said. The injured, half of whom are women, were sent to two hospitals after the blasts.

Police said the explosions on the two No. 54 buses were deliberate. Authorities are now stepping up checks on all roads, railways, waterways and airports in search of the suspect, or suspects responsible for the incidents, according to previous reports.

Yunnan police said the bombs contained nitro amine explosives. The bombs had been placed in the front of the first bus and the rear of the second bus.

Further investigation is still under way.