According to recent news reports, an explosion was heard at Shanghai Pudong International Airport's Terminal 2 at around 2.40pm. The explosion reportedly injured four people.
Images and videos posted at the scene showed police in the terminal and injured people being taken away on stretchers.
We'll post more updates here as we receive them.
UPDATE #1 (3.50pm CST): A Wechat Moments post screenshot circulating online says:
Holy Shit! The Terminal 2 Airline Check-in Area C had an explosion! I was nearby! A loud explosion and mushroom cloud! Really loud! The whole Terminal 2 echoed with the explosion! I do not know whether it was an accident or XX attack, the police has cordoned off the area.
UPDATE #2 (4.11pm CST): Firecrackers were reportedly the cause of the explosion, according to a report from Xinhua.
UPDATE #3 (4.41pm CST): Security footage circulating on WeChat shows the explosion caught on what seems to be security camera footage behind a ticketing counter at Shanghai International Airport Terminal 2. Watch below (VPN off):
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UPDATE #4 (5.13pm CST): The explosion appears to have taken place at Island C between the Singapore Airlines and Thailand Airlines check-in counters.
UPDATE #5 (5.28 pm CST): According to Xinhua, the explosives were "self-made with firecrackers". The state media outlet reported on its Twitter feed that two pieces of luggage 15 meters apart near the T2 security check exploded one right after the other in 5 seconds. They're also reporting that two people on the scene were severely injured.
UPDATE #6 (6.07 pm CST): Some media outlets are now reporting that at least four people have been injured from the blast.
UPDATE #7 (6.11pm CST): Witnesses on the scene have begun describing the incident. Traveler Wu Jiang told Sixth Tone:
“The bomb happened around 14:30. The sound of the explosion was very loud, and the smoke billowed high like a mushroom cloud. It happened between check-in areas C and D, and people ran away after the blast, leaving their baggage behind on the ground. One man was injured and bleeding, and had to be carried away on a stretcher.”
Others took to social media to describe what happened. Again, via Sixth Tone:
Reactions on Weibo from witnesses were swift, with one user saying: “Shit! I just checked in at Pudong airport and the counter opposite me exploded. I was so scared I cried. If this was in America, I'd think it was a terrorist attack.”
Meanwhile, another user said: “There was just an explosion at Pudong airport in a control room or reception. It was deafening. Everyone was scared by the blast. Most of the people in the restaurant ran. My plane is also late, could it be that my life is going to end here today?”
Shanghai Airport Authority, meanwhile, wrote on their official Weibo account that everything was "under control."
Image via Teppei Hayashi
UPDATE #7 (6.24pm CST): More photos and videos from this afternoon's explosion have been circulating and emerging on WeChat.
See a video of what appear to be armed squads entering the airport on our Twitter account, @ThatsOnline:
UPDATE #8 (6.53 pm CST): Police have released an official statement on the blast, saying:
According to the preliminary investigation, a man took a homemade explosive device out of his backpack and threw it in front of the check-in counter. After the beer bottle went off, he took a knife out of his backpack, slit his neck and fell down. He was rescued and in critical condition. The other four tourists (one is Filipino) suffered mild scratches from the exploded glass bottle. They are now undergoing treatment.
UPDATE #9 (7.06pm CST): State media are reporting that the injured are being treated, with at least one "severe neck injury" listed among the victims.
Meanwhile, we here at That's are hearing mixed reports of flight delays, with some travelers reporting normal takeoff times, while others have been delayed for hours. Check flight statuses on the official Pudong International airport website.
UPDATE #10 (June 13, 3.19 pm CST): "We saw a beer bottle filled with black explosive powder rolling towards us with a lit fuse," one eyewitness told That's of the bombing. Read his full account of the incident here.
Meanwhile, the number of people injured following yesterday's blasts at Shanghai Pudong International airport has risen to five, with the perpretrator reportedly in intensive care.
Both PVG and Hongqiao Airport have also heightened security measures in response to the incident. Read more about that here.
Additional reporting by Cathy Wu
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