One person was killed and 19 others injured today after an unidentified man set a public bus on fire in China's eastern Shandong Province.
The fire on the bus broke out at around 8:30 a.M. (local time) and was extinguished half an hour later in Longkou City, a local official said.
The fire was an act of arson, police said.
Following a preliminary investigation, the suspect is believed to be a man of around 50 years. Police are searching for the suspect, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
A woman in her 40s died on the spot.
Four of the injured are in serious condition, and all were rushed to nearby hospitals.
China has seen a string of bus arson cases in recent years.
In all the incidents few details were made available about individuals who resort to such act in order to avoid copycat incidents.
In July, a 25-year-old suspect surnamed Ou in China's southern Guangzhou Province set a bus on fire after being angry over gambling losses, killing two and injuring 32.
A 34-year-old man was accused of setting fire to a bus in China's eastern Hangzhou City, injuring 32 people.
On June 7 last year, a bus in the east China coastal city of Xiamen burst into flames, leaving 47 people dead and 34 others injured. Police had later said suspect Chen Shuizong, who also died in the fire, committed arson with gasoline.
