Violent Terrorist Attack In China’s Restive Xinjiang Region Kills 31 And Injures 94
Attackers in China's restive Xinjiang region have crashed two cars into shoppers at a market, killing 31 people.
By Sadho Ram — 22 May 2014, 06:26 PM — Updated almost 10 years ago
On 22 May, Thursday Morning, Explosions At A Crowded Market In Urumqi, The Capital Of The Restive Xinjiang Region Of China, Killed 31 People And Injured 94 Others
Attackers crashed a pair of vehicles and tossed explosives in an attack Thursday near an open air market in the capital of China's volatile northwestern region of Xinjiang, leaving 31 dead and more than 90 injured, state media reported.
The Ministry Of Public Security Has Called It A "Violent Terrorist Attack"
It was the deadliest burst of violence this year, highlighting a growing challenge to Chinese rule in a region that is home to the mostly Muslim, Uighur ethnic group.
Xinjiang, which is home to the Muslim Uighur minority, has seen a spate of attacks in the past year. Information about incidents in the region, where ethnic tensions between Uighurs and Han Chinese continue, is tightly controlled.
The Series Of Explosions Hit At 7:50AM, With Witnesses Saying That Two "Cross-Country Vehicles" Plowed Into Market Crowds And Explosives Were Thrown From Them
Pictures on Weibo microblogs - China's equivalent of Twitter - appeared to show Thursday's attack taking place at one end of a busy market street lined with vegetable stalls. One of the two vehicles exploded.
Photos From The Scene Posted To Weibo Showed At Least Three People Lying On A Street With A Large Fire In The Distance Giving Off Huge Plumes Of Smoke
Saloshka, a woman who said she was about 100 paces from scene, said on her Sina Weibo account that the casualties were “elderly grandpas and grannies” at market early.
Photographs said to be from the scene showed injured people, many elderly, lying on the ground, some being dragged away by others and loaded onto tricycles or ambulances, with blood stains amid scattered vegetables and personal belongings. Others sat on stools or the ground, appearing dazed. A large fire raged in the background.
nydailynews.comAccording To A Weibo User "Manga", Who BBC Is Reporting To Be An Eyewitness:
I didn't go downstairs because I was scared. I was the only one [at home]. I was worried for my safety. I heard the first two blasts, like a thunderstorm, and I thought it was one. Then there were another three to four explosions, and then smoke billowing, and everybody downstairs was running... The ambulances arrived immediately (within 10 minutes), then came a police car. More ambulances, fire trucks and police cars arrived within 30 minutes.
Shortly After The Blasts, President Xi Jinping "Pledged To Severely Punish Terrorists And Spare No Efforts In Maintaining Stability"
In a statement, Chinese President Xi Jinping said his government will "swiftly solve the case, harshly punish the terrorists, promptly recover the dead and treat the injured, offer condolences to the families of the injured, and strictly prevent any ripple effects to materialise from this."
sky.com