Locals Say Former Soldier Carried Out Deadly Chinas Guangxi Blast

Local people told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that a deadly explosion in southern China’s Guangxi region was allegedly caused by a former soldier retaliating over an economic dispute.The blast tore through Lingxiang Road in Xing’an County, Guilin, at about 1:40 a.m. on June 11, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens, according to an earlier Epoch Times report.Police have ruled out a gas leak but have not publicly identified a suspect or announced a cause.The Xing’an County Public Security Bureau said in a June 11 notice that seven people were killed and 17 injured people were sent to hospitals, none of them with life-threatening injuries. Other less seriously injured people had been treated and relocated, police said.The notice said preliminary investigation had ruled out piped gas and similar factors, and that police were still investigating the cause.Locals Describe DisputeSeveral local residents told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that they believe the explosion was caused by an elderly man who had previously served in the military and had become involved in a dispute after buying tea that he believed could treat illness.A resident using the pseudonym Xu Huijuan told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that the man had spent 80,000 yuan, or more than $11,000, on tea that was advertised as having health benefits. She said he later sought revenge after the product did not work.Xu said she had heard that the explosive device was homemade and that the man died in the blast.Another resident, using the pseudonym Han Changshun, said the man had lost tens of thousands of yuan and was unable to recover the money.“He was in poor health and had no money for treatment. He couldn’t get the money back, and then he made explosives himself,” Han told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times.Han said he could not speak in detail because he feared being summoned by police.Former Soldier ClaimA resident using the pseudonym Jiang Chaoyang said the man had previously served in the military and threw two explosive devices at people he blamed for the dispute.“The old man had been a soldier and had fought before, so he knew how to make bombs,” Jiang told the Chinese Edition of The Epoch Times. “He used to be responsible for explosives in the artillery.”Jiang said the man was from Shuibo Village. He also described damage near his home.“The glass on the street across from my house was basically all shattered, and the glass downstairs in my building was also broken,” he said.Another resident, using the pseudonym Dong Zhigang, gave a similar account. Dong said the dispute did not involve a government agency but stemmed from the tea purchase.“This was about buying tea and an economic dispute,” Dong told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times.Dong said the man was born in 1953 and had served in an engineering unit. He said the man had knowledge of explosives and used ammonium nitrate to make an explosive device. The Epoch Times could not independently verify the claim.Dong said the man had bought tea for health reasons, later failed to obtain a refund, and “went to extremes.”“He threw two bombs and died himself,” Dong said.Fear of Speaking PubliclySeveral residents said people in the area were afraid to discuss the explosion publicly.A resident using the pseudonym Ruan Lingyu told the Chinese Edition of The Epoch Times that local people dared not speak about the matter online.“We local people don’t dare say it online. We can only talk privately,” Ruan said. “I can’t say more because I’m afraid the police will come after me.”Another resident, using the pseudonym He Weiguo, said security forces had sealed off the area.“People from the central authorities came down, the scene was surrounded, and many special police came from the city,” He told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times. “My home is a five-minute walk from the site. So many local houses were blown up that it can’t be covered up.”The Epoch Times called local police on June 12 but could not get through.Authorities have not announced whether the Xing’an explosion was deliberate, whether a suspect died at the scene, or whether explosive materials were involved.Li Jing and Gu Xiaohua contributed to this report.