A Chinese man, who had allegedly set on fire a crowded bus in southeast China’s Xiamen city on Friday evening also died in the blaze.

Beijing, June 8/Nationalturk – A Chinese man, who had allegedly set on fire a crowded bus in southeast China’s Xiamen city on Friday evening to vent ‘personal grievances’ also died in the blaze, government officials said.

The Xiamen city government on Saturday identified Chen Shuizong a resident of Xiamen as the arsonist of the fire, which claimed 47 lives and injured 34 others.

“An investigation and DNA evidence conducted after the blaze found that Chen was the prime suspect,” it said.

It said Xiamen police had found notes in suspect’s house, which showed that Chen was unhappy and pessimistic about his life, and planned the arson to vent his personal grievances.

“Further investigations are going on,” the government said.

It said Chen was born in 1954.

Police had launched criminal investigation

Earlier, police had launched a criminal investigation into the bus blaze and identified a suspect in connection with the inferno.

Authorities had said that the fire, which engulfed the bus in minutes during evening rush hour in the southeastern city of Xiamen, was being treated as a “criminal case”.

“The criminal probe was launched after initial investigations showed the accelerant was petrol, while the bus was equipped with a diesel engine,” the officials had said.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk China News