Censors Suppress Discussion of Deadly Northwest China Explosion

The explosion occurred on the first day of the Communist Party’s Sixth Plenum, the biggest political meeting this year for high-ranking Chinese regime cadres.
Censors Suppress Discussion of Deadly Northwest China Explosion
Xinming Hospital after the explosion on Oct. 24, 2016. Sina Weibo
Frank Fang
Frank Fang
Reporter
|Updated:

A huge explosion that killed at least 14 people and injured over 150 has seen the Chinese regime’s heavy-handed moves to marginalize the incident, which fell on the sensitive opening day of an important Communist Party meeting.

The explosion took place in Xinmin County in northwestern China’s Shaanxi Province at about 2 p.m. on Oct. 24. An online video shows windows of a nearby hospital shattered; dead and injured can be seen at the scene.

“All the buildings in the street have been damaged and some have collapsed. A hospital about 320 feet from the explosion site is damaged beyond use,” said Mr. Bai, a local resident of Xinmin, in an interview with New York-based New Tang Dynasty Television (NTD).

A day later, the state-run Central China Television (CCTV) reported that the casualties included two children. Forty one people were discharged for minor injuries. Police investigators determined the disaster to be caused by the illegal production and storage of explosives. Three people have been arrested.

Xinmin Hospital, before (R) and after (L) the explosion. (via Baidu)
Xinmin Hospital, before (R) and after (L) the explosion. via Baidu
Frank Fang
Frank Fang
Reporter
Frank Fang is a Taiwan-based reporter. He covers U.S., China, and Taiwan news. He holds a master's degree in materials science from Tsinghua University in Taiwan.
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