Photo: Screenshot from the official WeChat account of the Chengdu High-Tech Industrial Development Zone's public security bureau

 
Local police said on Monday that a preliminary probe has found the incendiary device was homemade by the perpetrator, who set off a combustion and explosion outside an automobile sales and service shop in Chengdu High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, resulting in one fatality and four on-site injuries on Sunday.
 
Local police issued a statement on its official WeChat account addressing the issue of public concern. Regarding the rumor circulating online that Duan, the perpetrator, failed to pay the full amount of money and the 4S store refused to refund the deposit, the police clarified that this claim is untrue.
 
The investigation revealed that the vehicle involved in the dispute was purchased in full payment in October 2022, and Duan had previously lodged a complaint with the store regarding the vehicle’s configuration, the statement said.
 
In the statement, the police refuted the claim that Duan had access to explosives due to his work in a mine. Duan had previously worked for a transportation company, is currently unemployed, and has no experience working in or involvement with mines, the statement said.
 
Based on comprehensive investigations, including visits, inquiries, and lawful searches of relevant locations, it was initially concluded that the explosive device was homemade by Duan, according to the statement.
 
Related physical evidence has been sent to professional institutions for examination, the statement said.
 
Several netizens of Douyin who speculated, fabricated, and spread above-mentioned rumors, which had an adverse social impact, have been dealt with in accordance with the law by public security authorities, the statement said.
 
The police also said in the statement that all conflicts and disputes should be resolved rationally through equal consultation or legal channels. Cyberspace is not a lawless place. Public security organs will continue to severely crack down on all illegal acts of fabricating and spreading online rumors and disrupting public order, so as to fully safeguard a clean and upright cyberspace environment.
 
On Sunday evening, the local police also released a statement on its WeChat account, saying that the Duan was killed on the spot, while the four injured individuals were promptly taken to the hospital and are all in stable condition with no life-threatening injuries.
 
The statement said that upon receiving the alert, local police officers quickly coordinated with emergency management, fire and rescue department, and health department. They fully carried out search and rescue of the injured, elimination of potential hazards, on-site investigation, and maintenance of public order, the statement said.
 
Related investigation is still underway currently, according to the statement.
 
Global Times