A man detonated a bomb outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Thursday, Beijing police said. The suspected bomber was the only person injured in the blast, according to an embassy spokesperson.
Here are the latest updates:
Update 8:45 a.m. EDT July 26: In a statement posted on its website, the Beijing Police Department identified the suspect by his surname, Jiang, and said he was a 26-year-old man from Tongliao city in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, according to The Associated Press.
“He was injured on the hand by the explosive device, which was made from fireworks,” the AP reported, citing police.
The circumstances leading to the bombing were not immediately clear. Authorities continue to investigate.
A U.S. Embassy spokesperson earlier said in a statement to CNN that the suspect was the only person injured in the explosion. No embassy property was damaged.
Update 3:04 a.m. EDT July 26: The Hong Kong Free Press, citing an embassy spokesperson, is reporting that "an explosive device was detonated" outside the building about 1 p.m. local time Thursday. Only the bomber was hurt, the newspaper tweeted.
Police identified the suspected bomber as a "26-year-old Inner Mongolian man," the newspaper reported.
The Free Press said it wasn't yet known whether the explosion was connected to earlier reports that a woman sprayed gasoline on herself.
Update 2:32 a.m. EDT July 26: State media is reporting that police detained a woman who sprayed gasoline on herself about 11 a.m. local time Thursday, according to the AP.
Several photos and videos circulated on social media after the possible blast filled the air with clouds of smoke.
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