Beijing - A "catastrophic explosion" occurred last night in suburban Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the west of China, with casualties of about 100 people, the Xinhua news agency reported.
A vehicle carrying explosives due to be destroyed blew up at about 7.30 p.m. in the western suburbs of Urumqi, "killing and injuring people", the report said. Local police were clearing the spot and rescuing the injured, Xinhua said.