Chinese police investigate the burnt wreckage of a double-decker bus . (file photo)
Local government in China says inspection by experts and police into the express bus fire incident has cast doubt on technical failure as the cause of the incident.
Initial probe has suggested that the blaze is a suspected “serious criminal case,” the local government said at a press conference on Saturday morning.
Investigation showed the accelerant for the fire was gasoline, while the bus engine ran on diesel, Xinhua news agency quoted a government official as saying.
The official also said that the tires and oil tank of the BRT (bus rapid transit) bus were intact before the fire.
Chinese police also posted a message reading a “suspect has been identified” on Saturday on its verified page on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.
The blaze, which occurred during the evening rush hour in the prosperous port city of Xiamen in Fujian Province on Friday, claimed the life of 47 people, and hospitalized 34.
Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun arrived in Xiamen at around 1 a.m. on Saturday, and ordered a thorough inspection to find about the truth about the incident.
Automotive accidents are common on China’s congested roads.
In August 2012, a double-decker sleeper bus hit the rear of a methanol tanker and caused the death of at least 36 people.
On June 5, 2009, an unemployed man set ablaze a bus with gasoline in Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan Province, and killex 28 people and injuring more than 70.
IA/HN
This article originally appeared on: Press TV