14 killed, 32 injured in northwest China bus fire

YINCHUAN, Jan. 5, 2016 (Xinhua) -- A press conference is held by the government of Helan County near the bus fire site in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autnomous Region, Jan. 5, 2016. A bus fire happened at around 7:08 a.m., when Bus No. 301 caught fire in front of a furniture store in Helan County in the regional capital of Yinchuan. The incident killed 14 people and left 32 others injured. Arson is suspected in the deadly bus fire and the Ningxia regional department of public security has launched a manhunt for Ma Yongping, the suspected arsonist behind the fatal incident. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

YINCHUAN, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen people were killed and 32 injured in a suspected arson attack on a bus on Tuesday morning in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the local government said.

The incident happened at around 7:08 a.m. in Helan County in the regional capital of Yinchuan, when the bus of route 301 caught fire in front of a furniture store.

Of the injured, eight were severely burnt, while the remainder suffered moderate to slight burns, according to the county government. All the injured are being treated at Ningxia Medical University General Hospital, seven are in intensive care.

A dozen relatives were waiting outside the intensive care unit when Xinhua reporters visited the hospital on Tuesday afternoon.

"I was sitting at the front of the bus when suddenly people started screaming 'Fire! Bus on Fire!'," Hu Yuexiang, a 26-year-old man recalled. "When I turned around, the flames were racing toward me very quickly and before I knew it my shoes were on fire."

Hu said the passengers rushed toward the front door pleading with the driver to open it.

"I thought the bus was about to explode, and I was going to die," Hu said. "Then the door opened and we all rushed out."

Hu said he wanted to film the fire, but the bus quickly "turned into a skeleton."

Pictures on microblog Sina Weibo show the entire bus engulfed by flames.

Another patient, Wang Yongfeng, suffered minor burns. His hands are swollen and covered in blisters.

"When I boarded the bus, all the seats were taken, and lots of people were standing," Wang recalled.

The Ningxia public security department is searching for Ma Yongping, the suspected arsonist.

According to police, Ma owns three cars. Police in Ningxia are on high alert for the suspect and his car number plates.

The bus driver sustained minor burns in the incident. The 40-year-old man is assisting police with their investigation, the government said.

The 84-seater bus had more than 40 people on board when it caught fire, according to the Yinchuan publicity office's official Weibo account.

The bus, which was bound for Yinchuan Railway Station, belongs to state-owned Yinchuan Public Transport Co. Ltd. The company has begun a safety check of all its vehicles following the incident.

Public buses are operating normally in Yinchuan. 

This article talks about the fire that happened in the Chinese bus fire, since 14 were killed and 32 injured. From reading that the fire spread instantly and there were many passengers on the bus it does seem like someone acted on purpose. Although the article seems to be biased in supporting the government and the security department in China. It doesn't provide any information on the background of the suspect or what could've caused his actions which force us to form our own hypothesis on the results from the fire. Though the incident seems to be in good control in the security department of China. 

Shaohui, Tian. "14 Killed, 32 Injured in Northwest China Bus Fire."Xinhuanet. English.news.cn, 05 Jan. 2016. Web. 05 Jan. 2016. <http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-01/05/c_134979519.htm>.