Man injures self in blast outside US embassy

A man was hospitalized after he detonated a firecracker-like device in an intersection near the United States embassy in Beijing around 1 pm on Thursday. The incident is an isolated one, Chinese authorities said.

The 26-year-old man, surnamed Jiang, is from Tongliao, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Beijing police said in a statement. His motive was unknown. He was treated for a hand injury. No one else was hurt, the police said.

Police found a lighter, debris of firecrackers and three unexploded firecrackers, each measuring 19.5 centimeters long and 3.5 cm in diameter.