The blasts all occurred at around 5 o'clock on Friday morning in four different residential blocks in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei Province, on March 16.

The sites have now been cleared up by police and soldiers and investigations are under way.

Acting on instructions from central leadership, the Hebei provincial government is doing as much as possible to treat the injured.

Doctors from local hospitals and army units stationed in the city, along with experts from Beijing, are working around the clock to save lives.

Provincial and city departments have offered sympathy to the families and relatives of the victims and made proper arrangements for their daily needs.

The Ministry of Public Security has issued a “wanted” circular for a 41-year-old deaf man named Jin Ruchao.

Jin, a resident of the Building No. 16, allegedly absconded after killing a woman, Wei Zhihua, on March 9 in Maguan County of southwest China’s Yunan Province.

The ministry circular says “he is also involved in other crimes,” but it does not implicate him in the explosions. The man’s photograph is on the circular.

A reward will be given to people providing clues and assistance leading to the capture of the culprits. A local circular based on the ministry document has been dispatched across the city.

In the No. 1 Municipal Hospital, Hu Zhenju, who was injured in the explosion, expressed her thanks to the rescuers. “I would not have survived without the help of the policemen and army soldiers,” she said.

Almost all the windows of the buildings next to the Building No. 16 were shattered by the enormous shockwave caused by the explosion. Mill workers have been busy repairing them.

Flowers were laid yesterday in front of the No. 23, 33 and 34 buildings, near the remains of the Building No. 16, to mourn the victims.

(China Daily 03/19/2001)