Explosion at US Embassy in Beijing as woman ‘covers herself in petrol in bid to set herself on fire’

Explosion outside US Embassy in Beijing as woman ‘covers herself in petrol and tries to set herself on fire’

An explosion has taken place outside the US Embassy in Beijing amid reports a woman covered herself in petrol and tried to set herself on fire.

Photos posted on Twitter showed a large amount of smoke and what appeared to be police vehicles surrounding the vast structure in northeastern Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

Chinese police are said to have taken away a woman who sprayed herself with gasoline in what was suspected to be a self-immolation attempt, according to local media reports which have not been verified.

An explosion has taken place outside the US Embassy in Beijing, eyewitnesses have said. Photos posted on Twitter showed a large amount of smoke and what appeared to be police vehicles surrounding the vast structure in northeastern Beijing on Thursday afternoon

Chinese police are said to have taken away a woman who sprayed herself with gasoline in what was suspected to be a self-immolation attempt, according to local media reports which have not been verified

Chinese police are said to have taken away a woman who sprayed herself with gasoline in what was suspected to be a self-immolation attempt, according to local media reports which have not been verified

Another witness said there were seven to eight police vehicles near the embassy and the road next to the complex had been closed off.

U.S. embassy officials did not immediately comment.  

The ruling Communist Party newspaper Global Times said police ‘took away a woman spraying gasoline on herself in suspected attempt at self-immolation’ at around 11am. 

China and the U.S. are in the middle of a trade dispute, but America remains a hugely popular destination for travel, education and immigration for Chinese.

More follows. 

 

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