Explosion in Heilongjiang tied to suicide

A preliminary investigation of an explosion on Saturday that killed one person and injured seven in the Daowai district of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, found that the blast was caused by a 50-year-old male resident who cut a gas line to commit suicide, the district government said on Tuesday.

The blast occurred at 5:13 pm in a residential building in the district.

Rescue teams arrived at the site shortly after the explosion and put out the fire by 5:33 pm.

Seven people were slightly injured but returned home after being treated in the hospital.

Architectural experts determined that the main structure of the building was safe.

Staff members of emergency, firefighting, housing and gas departments eliminated the possibility that the blast was caused by improper use of gas. The local public security department determined that it was caused by the deceased man, surnamed Li, who deliberately cut the gas line and wanted to die.

The local government dealt with the aftermath, including temporary resettlement of residents affected by the explosion. It also arranged for repairs and replacements of damaged doors and windows, made an inventory of property losses and provided psychological counseling and assistance.