Police in China have named a suspect in the series of explosions that killed at least eighteen people on Monday in the northern city of Shijiazhuang.

The man, Jin Ruchao, lived in one of the buildings destroyed by the blasts; he was already wanted on murder and other charges.

Police have offered a six-thousand-dollar reward for information leading to his arrest.

The Chinese authorities have not suggested any possible motive, although they are portraying the blasts as a criminal act rather than a political one. Firefighters say the final number of deaths may be considerably higher.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service