[Sleuth]

Just received word that a bus exploded in Shanghai (happened about 9 am), in north eastern Shanghai.
Three reported dead (so far).
Let's hope it was some sort of catastophic accident and not all the usual things that come to mind when you hear of this type of thing.

[PDLM]

Sounds like a (not unusual) engine fire according to the Beeb. No mention of any "explosion".

And three people dead in a traffic accident in China is hardly "catastrophic". Do please keep a sense of proportion. Several hundred people die in traffic accidents in China every day!

(See, for example: Road accidents kill 300 a day in China )

[jgl]

The "usual thing to come to mind" regarding tragic accidents in China are corruption, lack of health and safety standards, and sub-standard working conditions.

Something tells me that this incident will be no different. No need to go looking for Western bugbears yet.

[Sleuth]

Catastrophic like number 2 or 3 definition, or in the sense of "catastrophic engine failure"--
catastrophic - Definitions from Dictionary.com

And any traffic death is a catastophe. 3 or 300. Although I could carve out a "stupidity" exception to that. Driving drunk and/or recklessly is not quite as catastrophic, unless you manage kill others.

SCMP had it as someone carrying combustibles and then somehow igniting them. Wonder what the truth is? Time to start an "X-Files: China".

[meiguoren]

I don't want to sound alarmist...but from what I hear someone walked on with flammable material. Again this is unconfirmed - just passing along info. Scary if true but again take with a grain of salt, could just be false whispers. Stratfor hinted that it might have been someone upset due to some bad trades @ the SSE but this seemed to be pure speculation.

[Skyhook]

Is it scary for you because you live in Shanghai, and the rest of us live in Hong Kong ?

or

If you live in Hong Kong, why are you even remotely concerned about what happened in Shanghai ?

[Sleuth]

Originally Posted by Skyhook

Is it scary for you because you live in Shanghai, and the rest of us live in Hong Kong ?

or

If you live in Hong Kong, why are you even remotely concerned about what happened in Shanghai ?

The second thing because I travel in China all the time and, up until now, it has always been a safe place.
And, given the greater degree of freedom in HK, seems it would be easier to plot and plan here than in the PRC.

[PDLM]

Originally Posted by Sleuth

The second thing because I travel in China all the time and, up until now, it has always been a safe place.

How does an additional 3 people being killed on the roads make any significant difference to the safety of China when at least 100 times that many people are killed on the roads each and every day?

[Sleuth]

Three people in an accident wouldn't make a difference/be scary. Had it been some sort of attack it would have.
I was on the SZ subway this morning and there was one of those wheeled buggies with a package or two on it just sitting by itself in the handicap area. It made me think twice about switching cars/trains.
SZ is already bad enough with all the petty thieves, who wants to worry about random violence for a cause?

[Mat]

The "War on Terrorism" really made people scared seeing such things...it is sad and troublesome....

A bus explodes, and first reaction is Terrorism...really sad. Media here really made a fantastic work.