Chinese officials today said an initial probe into a fire in a crowded bus revealed "serious criminal case" and investigators suspects sabotage, as the death toll rose to 47.
A BRT (bus rapid transit) bus caught fire in the city of Xiamen in Fujian province while it was plying on a elevated bus lane yesterday, in one of the deadliest road accidents in the country recently.
The death toll this morning rose to 47. Thirty four people were injured.
The investigation by experts showed that the fire was caused yesterday by gasoline while the bus used diesel engine.
A government official said the case was initially identified as a "serious criminal case" and further investigation is under way, state-run Xinhua news agency said.
A working team led by State Councilor and Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun arrived in Xiamen today.
After inspecting the scene and comforting the injured in hospitals, Guo asked experienced medical staff to expedite the rescue of injured and ensure all of them best treatment.
The Public Security Ministry has urged local police departments to take rapid and effective measures to carry out a safety overhaul and ensure overall social stability.
The ministry also demanded police to ensure the ongoing national college entrance exams, which started on Friday and will end on Sunday with more than nine million examinees.
The BRT bus line in Xiamen resumed operation today, with a strict safety check on passengers' luggage by bus station staff.
On June 5, 2009, a bus in Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan Province, was set ablaze by an unemployed man with gasoline, killing 28 people and injured more than 70.
