Four men on trial in China for bombings which killed 108

Four men have gone on trial charged with a string of bombings that killed 108 people and could face a death sentence if convicted, a court official said today.

The trial began yesterday, said an official at the Intermediate People’s Court of Shijiazhuang who gave only her surname, Liu.

Jin Ruchao has admitted setting off the March 16 explosions that destroyed or damaged four apartment blocks, state media said. Shijiazhuang is a major industrial centre 170 miles south west of Beijing.

Three others are charged with supplying explosives and detonators. They were detained in a raid on explosives manufacturers in the region following the bombings.

Wang Yushun and Hao Fengqin are charged with selling Jin ammonia nitrate, an explosive, the official China Daily newspaper said today. It said Hu Xiaohong is accused of selling Jin 50 detonators and 20 paper fuses.

All four men face a possible death sentence if convicted, Liu said.

Jin was arrested a week after the bombings. In testimony shown on national television, he said he acted alone and was trying to take revenge against relatives, his ex-wife and others with whom he had feuded.

The explosions struck within about an hour. Most of the deaths occurred at the city’s Number 3 Cotton Mill, where a five-story building housing 48 families was reduced to rubble. The three other buildings suffered less damage.

Explosives are readily available in China and frequently used in crimes instead of guns, which are tightly controlled. Following the bombings, Beijing announced a crackdown on explosive sales.