Suicidal farmer blamed for fatal bus explosion
Print Edition
Police have confirmed that a farmer blew himself up on a long-haul bus with 47 people on board earlier this month in northwestern Shaanxi Province, carrying out the suicide attack after he had lost his son and failed in business.
Dang Zhaofei, 45, one of five people who died in the blast, became desperate after his son drowned in July 2008 while he himself was heavily in debt from his work as a fruit wholesale agent, according to the government of Pucheng County in Shaanxi’s Weinan City. Dang’s relationship with his wife had also gone sour before he launched the deadly attack on January 5, local authorities said.
The blast, in which 24 other people were injured, occurred at around 6:40pm as the bus was at an intersection and about to arrive at a bus station in Pucheng County.
Three men, one of whom was Dang, and two women died.
The injured ranged in ages from three and 44, according to earlier media reports.
Police had offered a reward of 30,000 yuan (US$4,962) for anyone who could give them information to help in their investigation.
Dang’s daughter is currently detained at Pucheng detention center as a suspect in connection with the explosion.
Police haven’t given any details of what offenses the 21-year-old is alleged to have committed.
Their investigation revealed that Dang borrowed explosives from a friend with the excuse that he was going badger hunting last November.
Dang made an explosive device at home, police said.
The friend who gave Dang the explosives is in police custody.
The bus, owned by Shaanxi Honghua Passenger Transport Co Ltd, left a bus station in Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi, at 4:50pm on January 5, with 45 passengers and two crew members on board, police investigating the incident said.
The local government has begun to issue compensation to the families of the victims and the injured in collaboration with the bus company and insurers, Pucheng’s publicity department said.
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