Miner blamed for lethal China bus blast

An explosion that killed 11 people aboard a bus in China’s north west last week was caused by a coal miner who was angry over a work-related injury, police said today.

The miner, Bai Qinghua, was among those killed when the bus exploded on Thursday in Kuytun, a city in the Xinjiang region, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Bai was angry at what he considered inadequate compensation after his fingers were injured in a mining accident in 2003 and “started to vent his anger on innocent people", Xinhua said.

It didn’t say why Bai targeted the bus or whether he knew anyone aboard.

Investigators found 27 bundles of detonators and packaging materials for explosives at a hostel where Bai lived, along with a will that claimed responsibility for blowing up a bus, the report said.

Bai received €1,900 for his injury, but contacted the mine owner before the explosion last week and tried to extract €19,000 in additional compensation, Xinhua said.

Bombs are frequently used in China in attacks stemming from personal feuds or business disputes. Explosives are readily available for mining and construction, while most gun ownership is illegal.