Bomb Explodes at Beijing Airport: Disgruntled Man in Wheelchair Who Caused Blast the Only Injury

A homemade explosive was detonated by a man in a wheelchair at Beijing Capital International Airport's main international terminal injuring only himself, according to the Associated Press.

The man set off the explosion at approximately 6:24 p.m. local time outside of the arrivals exit of the enormous Terminal 3. Authorities were treating the man for injuries from the explosion that scared many people but only injured the man who detonated, according to China's Xinhua News Agency.

Witnesses told the Associated Press that there was only one explosion in the crowded terminal. A man who would only give his family name of Chen witnessed the explosion from about 30 yards away. Chen said that police were quick to respond to the incident.

"The explosion sound was loud," Chen said. "Since there was no second explosion, many people took out their phones and gathered near the explosion spot to take photos."

"It sounded like the sound of big firecrackers," Qing, another witness who spoke with the Associated Press, said. "We couldn't see really what happened afterward. There was a lot of smoke and the police arrived very fast."

The Telegraph reports that prior to setting off the bomb the man rolled down the exit corridor toward where arriving passengers clear customs. Within 90 minutes all evidence had been gathered, everything had been cleaned and the airport was back to normal as if nothing had happened.

China's state owned television station, CCTV, has identified the man as Ji Zhongxing. While the reason Ji set off the bomb is unknown at this time it has been reported that he was told to stop passing out leaflets that contained some sort of complaint. What exactly the leaflets said was not released, according to the Associated Press.

Reporters from the Associated Press found a blog entry by a man of the same name, birth year, and home town telling of how his disabilities were the result of being abused and beaten by security personnel.

"Because we are peasants and we are poor, no one is willing to help us," the blog said.

The blog was available immediately after the explosion but has since been removed, thus making it impossible to verify the author, according to the Associated Press.