At least 4 hurt after explosion at Shanghai airport

At least four people have been injured from an explosion at an airport in Shanghai on Sunday (June 12), according to online reports.

According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, the incident occurred at about 2.42pm at Terminal 2 of the Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

#BREAKING Suspected explosion reported at Pudong Airport in #Shanghai , injuries feared pic.twitter.com/OaGNCNxnDQ

— CCTVNEWS (@cctvnews) June 12, 2016

The blast happened after "suspected homemade explosives" went off, the Shanghai Airport Authority said on their official Weibo page. It had earlier been reported that the blast was caused by firecrackers.

A video of the incident posted online showed that the explosion happened close to check-in counters at the terminal, and the sudden blast sent passers-by running to take cover.

According to Sina News, there were a total of two explosions within five seconds of each other, which originated from two pieces of luggage that were positioned about 15 metres apart. The area where the blast occurred has been cordoned off by authorities.

At least four people were injured in the blast. Among them is a man who suffered severe neck injuries that may be self-inflicted, suggesting that he could have set off the device, official state news agency Xinhua reported.

The others who were hurt include a 53-year-old man from the Philippines, as well as two Chinese nationals - a 67-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman. They sustained injuries to their heads, hands and legs.

AFP reported that there have been past instances of disgruntled individuals in China setting off explosions or fires for perceived injustices. These include a wheelchair-bound man who detonated a homemade bomb at Beijing international airport to protest alleged police brutality.

Airport officials: Explosion at #Shanghai Pudong Airport caused by “self-made explosives,” at least 3 injuredhttps://t.co/SCEwXvFobq

— CCTVNEWS (@cctvnews) June 12, 2016

seanyap@sph.com.sg