Bomb blamed for Vietnam taxi blast, suicide suspected

By Minh Cuong October 3, 2016 | 11:06 pm PT

Police say the passenger detonated the bomb after leaving a suicide note at home.

The explosion that killed two men in a taxi in the northern province of Quang Ninh on Monday was caused by a bomb detonated by a passenger, an investigation has found.

Police have identified the passenger as a 50-year-old local named Thanh, who booked the taxi via phone and detonated the bomb eight minutes after stepping into the car.

The blast killed Thanh and Dang Van Trung, the 29-year-old driver, after sending the car up in flames. Another car and a motorbike on the road were damaged and the drivers had to be rushed to hospital.

Police said Thanh and Trung did not know each other. A subsequent search of Thanh’s house found his suicide note, which said his health was poor and that he did not want to be a burden on his family.

Authorities said Thanh was a heavy drug addict and his family is poor.

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Fire fighters try to extinguish the flames after the taxi exploded in Quang Ninh Province on Monday. Photo courtesy of Quang Ninh Newspaper

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Parts of the taxi were thrown 50 meters by the explosion. Photo by VnExpress

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The front of the taxi was all that remained after the explosion. Photo by VnExpress

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A car and a motorbike on the street were caught in the incident. Photo by VnExpress

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