UPDATE #3 (3.20pm CST): New York Times reporter Austin Ramzy posted an update on Twitter stating that the man, 26, who suffered a hand injury, has been detained and sent to the hospital.
UPDATE #2 (3.12pm CST): Beijing Municipal Security Public Bureau released an official statement reporting that at 1pm a man set fire to a device similar to a firecracker, producing an explosion that lead to the individual being injured. No casualties reported. Upon investigation, the man responsible is believed to be surnamed Jiang, 26 years old, from the Tongliao prefecture in Inner Mongolia.
UPDATE #1 (2.56pm CST): According to CNN, an explosive device was detonated at the scene. The individual who attempted to throw the explosive over the embassy gate was reportedly the only one injured, as it set off prematurely.
An explosion was reported outside the US Embassy in Beijing this afternoon.
Several witnesses posted photos and videos on social media documenting the incident, as smoke filled the air and startled citizens fled from the scene. Neighboring roads have been closed off.
Exact information regarding the cause of the explosion still remains unknown at the moment, as reported by the Mirror. According to a Twitter update by state-run newspaper Global Times, a woman who had allegedly doused herself with gasoline was carried away from the scene by police, though it's unclear if the incidents are related.
This story is developing. More updates on this story as we receive them.
See more photos below:
[Top image via Yuka Hayashi]
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