Photos circulated on Weibo and Twitter of a car in flames in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing on Monday. While early reports suggested it might be a self-immolation, few details have been confirmed:
Online reports of a fire next to Tiananmen square today, pictures rapidly being deleted, one photo here: http://t.co/BLFF3kWRdb
— Tom Hancock (@hancocktom) October 28, 2013
Photo appears to show a car in flames next to Tiananmen square, online report says person inside. http://t.co/f6rKZQcE8G ht @feliciasonmez
— Tom Hancock (@hancocktom) October 28, 2013
A driver, 2 passengers confirmed dead after a jeep went into crowd and caught fire in front of Tian'anmen Rostrum Beijing Monday noon
— Xinhua News Agency (@XHNews) October 28, 2013
Reuters reports from the scene:
Beijing police, reached by telephone, said they had no information. The Beijing government, also reached by telephone, said it did not know what had happened.
The Reuters witness said he saw fire engines, an ambulance and numerous police cars heading in the direction of the fire, which sent a plume of black smoke into the sky. The main road through the square was closed.
The fire was on the north side of the square close to the main entrance of the Forbidden City, upon which hangs a portrait of the founder of Communist China, Mao Zedong. It was not clear if the fire was on the road or the pavement or the square.
A foreign tourist who was on the square and asked not to be identified said she heard an explosion followed by a fire. [Source]
Remarkable picture of a vehicle fire in Tiananmen Square that has killed three pic.twitter.com/99bfcZMQ3H
— Emily Ford (@emilyford1) October 28, 2013
