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Radio France Internationale: Tightened Security and News Coverage after Explosion outside Kindergarten in Xu Zhou City

Radio France Internationale published an article explaining that, following the recent explosion outside a kindergarten in a suburb of Xu Zhou City in Jiangsu Province which killed 8 people and injured 65 people, the General Office and the Publicity Office issued an urgent notice to news media outlets. The notice requested that the media outlets must use only three official media as their news sources when reporting on the explosion. They must exercise strict efforts to monitor online and social media in order to stop and prevent potential “rumors” or negative comments. The article also stated that the seriousness of the explosion caught the attention of the leadership in Beijing. The Ministry of Education has ordered tightened security around school buildings. Some Kindergartens have even hired security guards who are armed with guns or preventive equipment such as batons, long forks, or spears. In addition, the article also quoted Bowen Press, which wrote that, “While China is facing a number of different hidden crises, its official news media will report extensively on incidents such as gun violence in the U.S. and the deadly London fire in the U.K. However, when it comes to kindergarten explosions or other domestic accidents, little news coverage can be found. That is incredible.”

The explosion took place at 4:50 pm on Thursday June 15. According to CCTV, the police have identified the suspect as a 22 year old male who made the explosive device at home and was killed at the scene. The suspect was reported to have dropped out of school due to psychological problems and then found a job close to the kindergarten. The police found the explosive material at the suspect’s residence and found the words “death,” “kill,” and “eliminate” written on his walls.

Sources:
1. Radio France Internationale, June 16, 2017
http://cn.rfi.fr/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD/20170616-徐州幼儿园爆炸惊动中南海-全国学校或紧急配枪棍长叉
2. Voice of America, June 16, 2017
https://www.voachinese.com/a/explosion-at-a-kindergarten-in-jiangsu-province-china/3901488.html