Deadly bus fire 'set by arsonist'

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Flames engulfed the bus in the Chinese city of Chengdu

A fire on a bus in China that killed 27 people and injured more than 70 last month is thought to have been caused by a suicidal arsonist, police have said.

The crowded bus caught fire in the morning rush-hour on 5 June in the south-western city of Chengdu.

Police said they thought a 62-year-old unemployed man burnt to death at the back of the bus after lighting the fire, state media reported.

The man had threatened to commit suicide, police said.

The man, named as Zhang Yunliang, made the threat after his family reduced the amount of financial support they gave him, Xinhua news agency reported.

The fire began as the bus travelled into central Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.

Witnesses said it only took a few minutes for the bus to become completely engulfed by flames.

Several days after the incident, officials investigating its cause said they believed petrol carried by a passenger was to blame for the fire.