Bus catches fire in north China, 14 dead, over 30 injured

BEIJING -- A fire on a bus in northern China on Tuesday killed 14 people and injured more than 30, and police were hunting for a suspect, authorities said.

The incident happened in Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia region, at about 7 a.m., and the cause of the fire was still being investigated, said a press officer at the Ningxia fire department, who gave only her surname, Wang.

Police were hunting a suspect named as Ma Yongping in relation to a "major crime," state broadcaster CCTV reported a few hours later. The Yinchuan Public Security Bureau confirmed the notice to local police authorities and said police were still investigating.

She said firefighters put out the fire in 10 minutes, and that 14 people died and 32 were injured.

There have been several serious bus fires in recent years in China that have been blamed on people who were mentally unstable or with personal vendettas.

Last year, a 35-year-old man was executed for starting a fire on a bus in the city of Hangzhou in July 2014 that injured 33. A court said Bao Laixu had been seeking revenge against society and because he wanted to end his own life after a relapse of tuberculosis.