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Bombing trail opens
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THE trial of a partially deaf man accused of killing 108 people in a bombing spree in North China's Shijiazhuang city began yesterday.
Jin Ruchao, 41, was accused of the five early morning bombings on March 16 that also injured 38 people living in residential buildings.
Jin was arrested some 2,000km away in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region eight days later.
Jin is being publicly tried in the Shijiazhuang intermediate court, along with three others who allegedly sold him explosives and detonators for the bombings.
The blasts occurred within an hour of each other, when most of the victims were still in bed.
Wang Yuchun and Qiu Fengqin were accused of selling Jin 980 yuan (US$112) worth of ammonia nitrate from their illegal explosives factory on March 14, while Hu Shaohong was accused of selling Jin 50 detonators and 20 paper fuses for 33 yuan in June 2000.
Investigators also accused Jin of the March 9 murder of his lover Wei Zhihua in southern Yunnan Province near the border with Vietnam, it said, indicating that Jin's trial would also include the murder.
Jin earlier confessed to police that he acted alone in setting off all five blasts, and hailed taxis as he moved quickly between the targets.
Jin told police the bombings were acts of revenge against his familiy members and neighbours.(SD-Agencies)
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