Beijing: A powerful bomb went off at a railway station in Urumqi, capital of China’s disturbed Xinjiang area while Chinese president Xi Jinping was visiting the region. State media said “the number of casualties remains unclear”.
State media quoted eyewitnesses saying the explosion occurred at the exit of the Urumqi south railway station and “merely disturbed” some luggage. “The blast was powerful. A man at a nearby hotel said he thought it was an earthquake,” it said.
The blast came a day before the launch of a new train service from Urumqi station, which is scheduled to hold an opening ceremony. It came soon after Xi announced a policy of “strike first” in dealing with terrorists.
President Xi visited the region to study preparedness of security forces in dealing with terrorists. He inspected areas along the China-Pakistan regarded an entry point for them.