Suicide Bomber Wanted Salary, Officials Say It Was Extortion

From Sohu:

Man Demanding Salary Detonates Explosive Killing 1 Wounding 7, Officials Claim It Was Extortion

A man asking for his salary detonated a bomb strapped to himself

An explosion occurred in the Guangzhou Tianhe Doushi Huating Community this afternoon causing 1 death and 7 wounded

At 3:53pm this afternoon [January 18], an explosion happened in an apartment building in Guangzhou’s Tianhebei Road Dushi Huating Community. Upon report, Guangzhou Police quickly dispatched police officers and firefighters to the scene to handle the situation, evacuate the surrounding people, and immediately take the injured to the hospital for emergency treatment.

According to the preliminary investigation by the police, in the afternoon, a man arrived at a company in Tianhebei Road Dushi Huating Community to ask for his salary, then detonated the explosive strapped to his body. The man died of his severe injuries. At present, this incident has already caused 1 death and 7 wounded. Police are currently investigating this incident.

More reports

According to Ms. Guo who works on the 30th floor, she heard the explosion as soon as she walked out of the elevator and stepped into the office. The elevator immediately stopped working, the entire door deformed and emitting thick smoke. Half an hour later, all personnel in the office were evacuated due to the heavy smoke, but because the elevator could no longer be used, they all climbed up to the top of the building on the 32nd floor. 4 or 5 wounded people were found sitting or lying down, their entire bodies burnt black, clothes torn and ripped, bodies covered with blood. There might have been other wounded people. The other elevator was used to carry the wounded.

Guangzhou City Tianhe District Party Committee Propaganda Department Press Section Chief Li Bin claimed: This man wasn’t actually demanding his salary, but rather committing extortion. Li Bin also indicated that further information would be released tonight.

Comments from Sohu:

浅尝辄止 [搜狐湖北省武汉市网友]:

Calling peasant farmers “criminals”, calling a demand for one’s salary “extortion”, calling a demand for an explanation “making a scene causing trouble”, calling mistresses “co-workers”, making prostitutes “subordinates”, treating the ordinary people as “enemies”, and treating money as their “biological father” [putting money above all else], these the things today’s government officials do.

时过夏末4567776 [搜狐内蒙古自治区呼和浩特市网友]: (responding to above)

Today’s officials are worse than the Japanese!

红旗下的无能愤青 [搜狐广西壮族自治区网友]:

Tying explosives to his own body to go extort, whether he succeeds or not, he wouldn’t be alive to spend the money, a recourse that only migrant workers would turn to. I cross my fingers looking up at the heavily clouded sky, grinding my teeth trying not to swear as I leave this comment in a good manner, silently warning myself: I’d Rather believe that there are ghosts in the world than to believe the words of an official.

自由思想者 [搜狐内蒙古自治区包头市网友]:

Sullying and making false accusations of a laborer from the bottom rung of society so desperate that he’d sacrifice his life in exchange for his hard earned pay, are you not afraid of being struck down by a bolt of lightning?

囫囵吞枣4436278 [搜狐江苏省网友]:

A thug that uses this kind of means, regardless of whether for extortion or to demand pay, doesn’t deserve our sympathy.

环游世界163095 [搜狐北京市网友]: (responding to above)

Would a civil way work? Could he convince government officials with words alone? Could the poor be helped with the law alone? You call him a thug, but that’s fucking because you’ve never been in his situation.

囫囵吞枣4436278 [搜狐江苏省网友]: (responding to 环游世界163095)

Are you fucking stupid? Using an explosive will hurt the innocent. You say he’s not a thug, I wished you were killed by the explosion.

自选股199882 [搜狐上海市网友]: (responding to above)

Because you’ve fucking never had someone owe you money and asked for money owed to you and don’t understand what it’s like. So ignorant.

记忆的空41052443 [搜狐网友]:

Killing oneself in order to extort? Is he a fool? Or do certain people think that the people are stupid?

东拉西扯4532701 [搜狐天津市网友]:

Is there any extortion in the world that is done like this? Truly a society where black and white [right and wrong] are reversed.

末日审判4360383 [搜狐山西省太原市网友]:

The police haven’t even finished their investigation, but the propaganda department has already determined the nature of this incident! Truly laughable to the extreme!

息息相关41492832 [搜狐北京市网友]:

Extortion at the cost of one’s own life? Would you do such a thing? Whether you believe it or not, either way I don’t believe it.!

防火防盗防公安 [搜狐黑龙江省鸡西市网友]:

Can you still belive the bullshit from the authorities? It’s the end of the [lunar] year, only because he was forced to the point where he could not even survive that he would take the ultimate road of suicide and killing. Workers, migrant workers, those who work and are under employment throughout China should all kill our black-hearted money-owning leaders/employers.

盛世流光42972961 [搜狐辽宁省营口市网友]:

The brains of China’s government officials these days have all been smashed into pig heads [stupidity] by money. If you’re going to fabricate the truth, couldn’t you have made up a more believable story? Do people extort like this? Better watch out for angry ghosts coming for your lives.

吃草的狼4279在搜狐 [搜狐陕西省西安市网友]:

Hero, rest in peace, take the man who said you were “extorting” with you.

肥水养花41722769 [搜狐辽宁省大连市网友]:

“Guangzhou City Tianhe District Party Committee Propaganda Department Press Section Chief Li Bin claimed: This man wasn’t actually demanding his salary, but rather committing extortion. Li Bin also indicated that further information would be released tonight.”
Complete TMD bullshit. They’d say anything out of fear of being held responsible. Who would commit extortion using their own life?

陌上西风2012 [搜狐广东省深圳市网友]:

Extortion by suicide? If he’s already dead, how can he get what he’s extorting for. You’d be better off accusing him of being mentally unbalanced as it would make more sense.

甜到悲伤4677266 [搜狐天津市网友]:

This explanation is so funny. Would you extort people by sacrificing your own life? Li Bin, can you publicize your home address? CNMD.

囫囵吞枣4352995 [搜狐河北省衡水市网友]:

No wonder things [in the nation] are so bad these days, there’s so many nao can as government officials. Who would believe that someone would ever go this far to extort someone??? You think the ordinary common people are as mentally retarded as you officials?? 

An update from Sina Weibo:

@网络新闻联播: Police: The Explosion Has Already Resulted in 1 Dead 8 Wounded, Caused by Labor Dispute: According to Guangzhou Police, January 18 afternoon, a man surnamed Wang was at the office of a certain company in the Guangzhou Tianhebei Road Dushi Huating Community demanding pay owed him. Due to the labor dispute, he detonated the homemade explosive strapped to his body, causing his own death, injuring 8 others, amongst which 3 are severely wounded.