Small explosion occurs outside US Embassy in Beijing, but no casualties reported

BEIJING — There was an explosion near the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Thursday, however only the bomber was injured, according to an embassy spokesperson and eyewitness accounts. 

The blast occurred in a public area at the embassy’s southeast corner, where people wait in line to apply for U.S. visas. The embassy said local police responded.

Beijing police later identified the suspect as a 26-year-old surnamed Jiang, from Inner Mongolia, and said an investigation is underway. 

The explosion took place around 1 p.m. Liang Zhuo, 21, said she was waiting in line to apply for a student visa when she heard a loud noise.

“It sounded like a gas tank exploded,” she said. The air filled with white smoke, she said, and people started dashing away.

“It sounded like a car tire had blown,” said Zhang Lisi, 47, who was waiting for her son, who was also at the embassy to apply for a student visa. 

Word of a blast near the embassy spread quickly on social media. Photographs and videos posted online showed thick smoke near the embassy’s eastern edge, as well as security personnel gathered near a nearby intersection.  

As rumors swirled, the Global Times, a Communist Party-controlled newspaper, reported that there had been an attempted self-immolation at the same spot at 11:00 a.m., briefly creating confusion about what took place. It is still unclear whether that incident occurred. Local police have not commented. 

With the U.S. school year around the corner, Chinese students are busy finishing up paperwork so they can start classes in the fall. 

Just over an hour after the blast, determined applicants were back outside the embassy. 

Liang, who is on her way to California, said she needed her paperwork by tomorrow, so she heard the blast, dashed away, then rushed back to hold her spot in line.   

Luna Lin and Amber Ziye Wang contributed to this report. 

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