A disabled villager in Shandong Province detonated home-made explosives in front of a local government building on Monday, killing himself and injuring six others, over a dispute for medical compensation, local officials told the Global Times.

The suicide attack took place in the compound of the Tengjia town government, Rongcheng, at around 8 am Monday after 49-year-old Qu Huaqiang, a former construction worker and villager of Qujiagou, entered the area in a wheelchair assisted by one of his fellow villagers, according to a government statement sent to the Global Times late Monday.

Six government workers were injured, including a deputy secretary of the local Party committee who attempted to comfort him, it said. Two suffered severe facial wounds.

An investigation is underway, said Lin Yongbo, a publicity official with the Rongcheng committee of the Communist Party of China, who declined to comment further.

Qu was hurt by falling electric machinery from a tower crane on a construction site, which caused his severe paraplegia in 1994, the statement said.

Qu's former employer spent more than 200,000 yuan ($31,540) on his medical treatment in the following three years and paid Qu a one-off compensation package of 126,270 yuan, before the company terminated its contract according to law and with the consent of Qu and his father, according to the document.

Since 2004, Qu, however, demanded more compensation and asked the town government to offer him a shop business or help him to establish a flour processing factory, which was turned down by officials, it said.

In 2008, the government planned to arrange for Qu to live in a government-backed nursery home, a proposal which was rejected by Qu.

The government then offered a 200-yuan monthly subsidy for Qu to hire a domestic helper, said the report.

"Qu suffered depression due to his long-term disability.  Following his divorce and other family changes, Qu lost confidence in life and once said he would take revenge on society," the statement said.

The official accounts, however, contradicts Qu's will, which has reportedly been circulating on the Internet for several years.

Qu claimed he was forced by his employer to sign the disability treatment package in 2007. 

He mentioned several times he would set off an explosion in the local government if he did not receive fair treatment.

The authenticity of Qu's alleged will could not be verified. Qu's relatives could not be immediately reached.

A source in Rongcheng who is familiar with the matter told the Global Times that the local officials who dealt with Qu's disputes had all retired.

Wang Zhenyu, a scholar at the China University of Political Science and Law, said, "The case is a tragedy for the whole of society."

Due to a lack of smooth channels to cope with social conflicts, procedures could be laborious for petitioners, who could end up venting their anger and hatred toward society, Wang said.

Chen Tianben, an associate professor with the Chinese People's Public Security University, said, "Some local governments have pressured petitioners in order to maintain social stability."

"The petitioners are encouraged to use legal procedures to solve problems. It's a more rational choice."