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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Chinese set themselves on fire | Chinese set themselves on fire |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Three people have set themselves on fire in the Chinese capital, Beijing, state media says. | Three people have set themselves on fire in the Chinese capital, Beijing, state media says. |
| The group were in a car at a busy intersection in a shopping area near Tiananmen Square when they set themselves alight. | The group were in a car at a busy intersection in a shopping area near Tiananmen Square when they set themselves alight. |
| Police said the men had come to the capital with "personal grievances". | Police said the men had come to the capital with "personal grievances". |
| There have been a number of self-immolation incidents in Beijing in recent years. Most involve petitioners angry with the government. | There have been a number of self-immolation incidents in Beijing in recent years. Most involve petitioners angry with the government. |
| The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau said fire ignited in the car as police moved to examine the vehicle. | The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau said fire ignited in the car as police moved to examine the vehicle. |
| Two of the men had been taken to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, the bureau said. | |
| "Based on initial inquiries, the three came to Beijing to voice personal grievances," it said, without giving further details. | "Based on initial inquiries, the three came to Beijing to voice personal grievances," it said, without giving further details. |
| Mobile phone pictures taken shortly after the incident show that the men's car had a number of flags fixed to its roof, reports the BBC's James Reynolds from Beijing. | |
| It is not clear what kind of movement or organisation the flags represented. | |
| Witnesses say that the intersection was back to normal just half an hour after the men were taken away. | |
| Since the suppression of pro-democracy demonstrations in 1989, Tiananmen Square has become a known venue for protest and its traffic is closely watched by the police. | Since the suppression of pro-democracy demonstrations in 1989, Tiananmen Square has become a known venue for protest and its traffic is closely watched by the police. |
| Normally, soldiers are placed inside the square with fire extinguishers by their feet - in order to stop any intruders from setting themselves on fire, our correspondent adds. | |
| The incident comes as Chinese deputies prepare for the annual National People's Congress. |