Bus fire kills 17 in northern China; arsonist being sought

Police officers have been searching a suspect named as Ma Yongping in relation to a “major crime”, state broadcaster CCTV reported a number of hours later. It did not give any indication of a possible motive.

Officials in the city of Yinchuan said the bus suddenly caught fire at around 07:00 local time (23:00 GMT Monday), trapping some people inside.

Footage on the People’s Daily Twitter page showed flames coming out of the bus windows.

Of the injured, eight were severely burnt, while the remainder suffered moderate to slight burns, according to the county government.

In past years, there have been several cases of attacks on Chinese public transportation, especially buses.

Wang said firefighters put out the fire in 10 minutes, and that 14 people died and 32 were injured. All the injured are being treated at Ningxia Medical University General Hospital, seven are in intensive care. The 40-year-old man is assisting police with their investigation, the government said.

The blazes are often blamed on the mentally ill or people who are seeking revenge against society.