Explosion Reported at US Embassy in Beijing

An explosion was reported outside the US Embassy in Beijing this afternoon.

Several witnesses posted photos and videos on social media documenting the incident, as smoke filled the air and startled citizens fled from the scene. Neighboring roads have been closed off.

According to a Twitter update by state-run newspaper Global Times, a woman who had allegedly doused herself with gasoline was carried away from the scene by police, though it's unclear if the incidents are related.

According to CNN, an explosive device was detonated at the scene. The individual who attempted to throw the explosive over the embassy gate was reportedly the only one injured, as it set off prematurely.

Beijing Municipal Security Public Bureau released an official statement reporting that at 1pm a man set fire to a device similar to a firecracker, producing an explosion that lead to the individual being injured. No casualties reported. Upon investigation, the man responsible is believed to be surnamed Jiang, 26 years old, from the Tongliao prefecture in Inner Mongolia.

New York Times reporter Austin Ramzy posted an update on Twitter stating that the man, 26, who suffered a hand injury, has been detained and sent to the hospital.

See more photos below:

[Top image via Yuka Hayashi]

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