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Creators of China’s Atom Bomb Reminisce 60 Years Later

Posted: 10/16/2014 3:29 pm

china atom bomb creatorsChina was ushered into the modern age with its first successful test of an atom bomb on October 16, 1964, joining a small, select group of countries as a nuclear power.

This achievement was made possible by a number of scientists and workers who were recently recognized for their contributions. They may be in their twilight years, but the forefathers of China’s atom bomb continue to look back with pride at their work, even if it has caused permanent damage to their health.

Atom bomb worker Ren Tie was exposed to radiation after several nuclear tests, but is proud of his service to China even though his teeth fell out when he was 50 years-old.

With 500 atom bomb developers now living in Hefei, these people did not understand the implications of what they were working on at the time. Wang Suide, who is now 76 years-old, explained the workrooms were all separated and workers were assigned different tasks, unrelated to each other:

You may not believe what I’m about to say, but it wasn’t until 1964 when I saw the first successful test of the atom bomb take place on television that I finally realized the importance of what I was doing.

The atomic bombs were developed at a secret location at State Factory No. 211 near Jinying Beach, Qinghai. Dong Yiju said the place, known as “Atom City”, was a desolate grass plain with harsh weather. He said he was forced to grow his own crops because food was so scarce:

When I first arrived, this place was just grass and scrub. There was more grass than people. There was so much sand blowing in the wind that it was difficult to keep your eyes open.

Now that their work is complete, and China has become a global power, all that is left is nostalgia from those early days:

I want to go back and see Jinyin Beach in Qinghai. It’s a captivating area.

Photo: China Daily

Haohao

Bomb From World War II Detonated in Hong Kong

Posted: 08/26/2014 6:49 pm

World War II may have ended almost 70 years ago, but it appears the cleanup continues.

Construction crews in Hong Kong were surprised this afternoon (August 26) when they stumbled across a bomb in the city’s North Point neighborhood. After bomb crews were called in, it was determined that the explosive was actually left behind from battles during World War II.

Streets in the area were closed off and a nearby bus terminus was shut down while police conducted a controlled explosion. The bomb was apparently half-a-meter long.

This is the second time this year that a bomb from the war was found on a Hong Kong construction site. In February, a bomb believed to have been dropped by the United States on Japanese-occupied Hong Kong was found on a site in Happy Valley.

There was intense fighting in Hong Kong during the war, known in Mainland China as the “War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression”. Japanese troops invaded the then British colony on the same day the infamous raid was conducted on Pearl Harbor.

Sixty million people died in World War II, roughly 2% of the world’s population at the time.

Source: RTHK

h/t: @ivanofhk

Haohao

[Photos] Explosion at Guangzhou Bus Terminal Injures One

Posted: 06/18/2014 5:56 pm

guangzhou bus station explosion fireworksAn explosion occurred this afternoon around noon near at a bus terminal in Guangzhou, reports People’s Daily.

The explosion happened in a garbage can opposite the entrance to the Jiaokou Bus Station at Fang Village Boulevard and Xifangxing Road in Liwan District. The blast contained so much force that part of the container was destroyed.

A 50 year-old female sanitation worker injured in the blast was taken to No. 2 Zhongshan Hospital. The victim sustained injuries to her hands and was described by eyewitnesses as having a “face covered in blood”.

Police cordoned off the scene when other explosive devices were suspected to still be in the vicinity. At 2:10pm, a suspicious black duffle bag was taken from the entrance of a KFC restaurant along with another bag discovered at a later time. However, both searches found nothing suspicious.

The explosion is now attributed by police to fireworks that had been improperly discarded, reports CCTV News.

guangzhou bus station explosion fireworksguangzhou bus station explosion fireworksguangzhou bus station explosion fireworksguangzhou bus station explosion fireworksguangzhou bus station explosion fireworksguangzhou bus station explosion fireworks

Photos: People’s Daily, Guangzhou Live

Haohao

Bomb Explodes Outside Wenzhou Police Station [UPDATED]

Posted: 06/12/2014 11:33 am

http://english.cri.cn/11354/2014/06/11/2743s831106.htmUPDATE 11:51am June 6: The suspect is said to be able to speak the local Wenzhou dialect, leading to early speculation that he is a local resident.

[Added pictures of bomb squad dismantling bomb directly at the scene to end of the post.]

***

One suspect has been caught after a bomb was detonated beside the entrance to a police sub-station in Wenzhou, Zhenjiang Province, reports People’s Daily. The blast happened at 9:36am today.

An eyewitness named Pan said after the device exploded, a man tried to detonate a second bomb but was caught by police.

The scene of the blast shows bomb fragments consisting of ball bearings, screws, and parts of firecrackers.

There are no reported injuries at this time. The motive of the attacker is also unknown.

wenzhou police station bomb

UPDATE: Here are pictures of a bomb squad dismantling the bomb:wenzhou police station bomb zhejiang explosionwenzhou police station bomb zhejiang explosionwenzhou police station bomb zhejiang explosionwenzhou police station bomb zhejiang explosion

Photos: SCMP, Caijing, Hong Kong Wenqu Net (2), People’s Daily

Haohao

Elementary School Attacker in Hubei Shot Dead by Police [UPDATE]

Posted: 06/10/2014 3:22 pm

hubei school kidnapping A person who had taken a hostage at a Hubei elementary school has been shot dead by police, reports China Daily.

According to the Chutian Metropolis Report, a person forcibly entered the campus of the No. 3 elementary school in Haokou County, City of Qianjiang, Hubei Province this morning and took a teacher hostage.

The suspect was reportedly shot four times. The teacher is said to have not sustained any injuries. A search of the suspect revealed he or she was in possession of knives, gasoline, and explosive devices.

CCTV reports the attacker may have left explosives behind in the school.

Students and staff have been evacuated as police continue their search of the campus.

UPDATE 7:01pm May 6: The suspect who attempted to take a classroom of elementary school students hostage at the No. 3 elementary school has been identified as 57 year-old Zhang X.

Zhang was having a dispute with the Xuqiao Village committee member Mr Xu over the compensation from land requisition and new residence provided in this exchange. Mr Xu’s grandson attends this elementary school and is a member of the class that was taken hostage, reports Yangcheng Evening Report.

Zhang had reportedly come to the classroom of 50 schoolchildren carrying an explosive device that he intended to set off. The class teacher and a deputy secretary are said to have volunteered to act as hostages in exchange for the students’ freedom.

When negotiations broke down, Zhang had supposedly poured gasoline on the hostage and was shot dead by police, reports CCTV.

Zhang is a retired soldier who is described as having been sent to a prison camp.

hubei school kidnappinghubei school kidnappinghubei school kidnapping

Photos: Southern Metropolis Daily via Weibo

 

Haohao

Don’t Try and Outrun Bullets, Don’t Tweet, and Other Tips from China’s Terrorist Survival Guide

Posted: 05/23/2014 7:58 pm

china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

This is an infographic that was published on the Sina News portal on May 22, the same day that an attack occurred in public market in Urumqi, Xinjiang that killed 31 people and injured more than 90.

The infographic itself has been separated into several portions. We’ve gone ahead and done a translation into English, as a public service (of course).china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

Terrorist Attack Survival Handbook

Terror attacks have occurred again in Urumqi, Xinjiang in which the [loss of] life reminds us that we must remain vigilant at all times in public places. Even though the chance of getting involved in a terrorist attack is less than winning the grand prize in a lottery, we should nonetheless prepare ourselves with survival knowledge and tips in order to make losses as minimal as possible.china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

Upon encountering a violent attack, please keep THESE six points in mind!

1. When encountering such an incident, don’t just stand around and be a spectator.

2. Do not provoke the person committing this violent attack; by all means, do not scream or yell in a horrified way.china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

3. If there is no way to escape the violent attack in a public area, find a large-scale object to hide in or cover you, and lie down.

4. Try to maintain a calm composure and observe the present situation at the scene. When the time is right, withdraw from the scene to a remote location.china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

5. Don’t take out your smartphone in order to take pictures, post a microblog, etc.

6. Remain flexible to take whichever course of action necessary depending upon the present situation.china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

Upon Encountering an Explosion, Do the Following

Situations:

Bomb explosion, car bomb, suicide bomber, etc

Response:

If a bomb has exploded, stabilization is the most important thing.china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

First step of self-preservation is to get down.

Find cover as this will greatly reduce your chance of getting hurt from flying debris as well as prevent inhalation from any harmful gases.

Observe if there is going to be a secondary explosion and any further injuries. Don’t run around in a panic: this may easily be what the perpetrator of the explosion wants you to do, and could result in more people getting hurt.

If you are on fire, don’t run around; instead, extinguish the fire by rolling around on the ground or use heavy clothing to suppress the fire. Do not waste any time worrying about your personal effects and belongings instead of escaping from the scene.china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

Upon Encountering a Gun Attack, Do the Following

Situations:

Shots fired from a handgun, shots fired from a rifle, shots fired from a machine gun, etc.

Response:

First Step: Get Downchina chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

Quickly cover yourself; quickly have your body adopt a low position. Use every possible single object in your environment to shield yourself.

Do not attempt to outrun the bullets.

china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

Response:

The cover you select can save your life.

The best cover is that which is in-between you and the terrorist.

Objects That Can Shield Your Body and Act as Cover

Objects that can easily conceal a body. For example, a pillar.

No: Lamp posts, trunks of small trees, fire hydrants (as their volume is too small, these items can not sufficiently cover your body).

china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

No: Small hills, ornamental stones (not standardized, easy to be affected by bullets)

Can Block Bullets:

Walls, pillars, large tree trunks, the engine block at the front of a car, tires, etc.

Can’t Block Bullets:

Wooden doors, glass doors, garbage bins, bushes, flower baskets, counters, office chairs, car doors and the rear portion of cars, etc.

Upon Encountering a Robbery, Do the Following

Situations:

Robber, carjacking, boat, airplane, etc.

Response:

china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

Stay calm, do not resist, trust in the government.

Don’t look or talk to them. Lie on the floor. Movements should all be very slow.

Stuff newspapers and magazines into your clothes, particularly into the area in the front of your chest. Often, this is able to defend against knife attacks made by the attacker.china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

Try your best to keep and conceal any communication devices you have, and promptly set them to silent mode. At the appropriate time, use a text message or other method to notify the police (110) to call for help. The main content of the message should be your exact location, what condition people around you are in and how many people there are, how many terrorist there are, etc.

Pay attention to how many terrorists there are, who their leader is; later, at the appropriate time, provide your evidence.

At the instant that police make their move, try to get down on the ground as best as you can. Under the cover of police, leave the scene.china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

Upon Encountering arson, Do the Following

Situations:

Public bus, train, cabin, underground shopping plaza, high-rise building, public amusement park, car driving into a tunnel, and subway.china chinese terrorism survival handbook bomb shooting explosions knife attacks

Response:

Do not lose control and panic, blindly scream and yell, be worried about any personal belongings, recklessly open windows and doors, take the elevator, run around however you’d like, jump off a building.

Photos: Sohu via Weibo

Haohao

Live bomb found at Guangdong fish market… inside a squid which ate it

Posted: 03/25/2013 1:00 pm

A live bomb was discovered inside a squid at a fish market in Jiaoling County on Sunday, Guangzhou Daily reports. It turned out the squid had swallowed it. Police later carried out a controlled explosion.

It kind of does look like a fish

When the seller was gutting the squid at a market in Jiaoling County in northeastern Guandong, in front of customers, he discovered a hard object inside the squid. He ended up pulling out a bomb, which was about 20 centimetres long and weighed 3 jin (approximately 1.5kg).

The sherriff’s department later confirmed it was an active bomb and carried out a controlled explosion.

The seller, Mr. Huang, speculated that the squid had swallowed the bomb thinking it was a fish.

That squid, which was more than a metre in length, truly led a charmed life until it was caught, sold to a market and gutted.

Haohao

Mail bomb leaves Guangzhou man facing possible vision loss

Posted: 02/14/2012 12:41 pm

On February 6, a courier parcel labeled as from a BMW dealership landed in the hands of Li Bingke, a resident of Tianhe district in Guangzhou. Said to hold a bottle of cologne, the package actually contained a home-made bomb which exploded when Li opened the parcel, wounding him seriously.

The suspect in the mail bombing is now a 38-year-old Panyu resident identified only as Zheng, reports New Express, detained two days after the incident in his rented flat in the south of Guangzhou.

According to the police investigation, Zheng sent the bomb out of a grudge against Li, whom Zheng believed had sabotaged the relationship between him and his ex-girlfriend.

Li, victim of the mail bombing. //CHINA DAILY PHOTO

In a statement to media, Li’s brother has said that Li only knows the woman in question in a professional capacity through their work as tutors in a training company, and that Li maintains a very happy and loyal marriage to his own wife.

The woman, identified as Ah Fang, has confirmed that in media interviews, adding that Li had nothing to do with her decision to break up with Zheng, who she would have stopped if she had known of the bomb plot beforehand.

Zheng’s family members say that he and Ah Fang were in a relationship from 1999 through to last year, but that the reason for the breakup is unknown.

Among other injuries, Li’s right eye was ruptured in the explosion. Doctors at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University have said the surgery was successful and that although his eyesight cannot be restored to its previous level, restoration of partial vision is the best possible expected outcome.

China Daily has since written that Li’s younger brother has said that the family intends to take legal action against the BMW auto dealership from which the parcel was sent, for leaking the victim’s private information, as well as the courier company which delivered it:

“The express company should be partly responsible for this atrocity because it did not check the parcel before it was delivered…,” Li’s brother said.

Haohao
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