Blast Rocks Area Outside United States Embassy in Beijing

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A police officer near the scene of an explosion outside the United States Embassy in Beijing on Thursday.CreditThomas Peter/Reuters

By Chris Buckley and Austin Ramzy

July 26, 2018

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BEIJING — An explosion rocked the street outside the United States Embassy in Beijing on Thursday, rattling a diplomatically sensitive area in the Chinese capital.

Smoke filled the air on a street not far from where many Chinese citizens line up each day to apply for visas to the United States.

The blast happened around 1 p.m. and was heard from blocks away. The police said a man set off a device made from fireworks that injured his hand. The man, 26, was detained and sent to a hospital. His injuries were not life threatening and no one else was hurt, the police said.

A visa agent who said he was about 30 feet away when the blast occurred said the source appeared to be an explosive device, set off by a man who had been trying to call attention to a human rights issue.

Earlier in the day, a woman who had also been protesting was arrested after dousing herself in gasoline, the agent said. It was not clear whether the two incidents were related.

Images shared on social media showed a large number of people looking toward the site of the explosion and gray smoke drifting over the street.

The street in front of the embassy, Tianze Road, which is also near the embassies of India and Israel, was closed for about an hour after the blast. Soon after the street reopened, a new line began to form outside the embassy compound.

The United States Embassy, in northeastern Beijing, is a well-protected compound. The facility opened in 2008 with a dedication ceremony attended by then-President George W. Bush. Security inside the visa area is strict, with no electronic devices or large bags allowed inside.

Chris Buckley and Sui-Lee Wee contributed reporting from Beijing. Zoe Mou contributed research.

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