An explosion is reported to have occurred outside the US embassy in China here, the media said. The US embassy complex is in Beijing's Chaoyang District. Witnesses have posted images on Twitter of smoke surrounding the building. A bystander said there had been injuries, the Herald Sun reported. The explosion occurred around 1 p.m. in an area where many Chinese citizens line up each day to apply for visas, The New York Times reported.

According to Chinese media reports, a witness said police took away a woman spraying petrol on herself in a suspected attempt at self-immolation.