Jilted husband blows up wedding

A suicide bomber in northern China, apparently angry at the break-up of his marriage, is reported to have killed himself and 36 people at a village wedding.

The official China Youth Daily said Li Zhanjin wheeled a cart packed with 50 kilogrammes (120 pounds) of explosives into the midst of about 100 guests in the village of Shajian in Shaanxi province on Wednesday.

His estranged wife and three children were not present.

The newspaper suggested that Mr Li, who it described as a 34-year-old former explosives expert in a coal mine, may have detonated the bomb because his wife left him last year.

He is reported to have told friends after the break-up that he would bring about an "even worse disaster".

Test blasts

The blast ripped through the assembled guests, leaving a huge crater in the middle of the road, and killing Mr Li and 24 people on the spot. Twelve others died from their injuries and 30 more were injured.

Windows were shattered 100 metres (330 feet) away.

The newspaper said Mr Li had carried out several test explosions outside the village in advance.

But it remains unclear why he should have chosen to vent his anger on his neighbours.

The blast was at least the second intentionally set off in China in the last two weeks and highlights the authorities' struggle to prevent misuse of widely available explosives.