Suspected bomb kills 2 Chinese, injures 1 in Laos

Area of suspected explosion plagued by sporadic conflict between government and ethnic Hmong militants

Suspected bomb kills 2 Chinese, injures 1 in Laos

China's embassy in Laos confirmed Monday that a suspected bomb in central Laos has killed two of its nationals, and injured one more.

State news agency Xinhua quoted the embassy as saying that one of the victims was an employee of a mining company from China’s Yunnan province.

The incident in Xaysomboun Province is reported to have taken place at 8.00 a.m. (0100GMT) on Sunday.

Embassy officials have said that they have visited the injured Chinese national in hospital in Laos' capital Vientiane.

"The Chinese embassy officials visited the injured person and required for prompt investigation into the attack," the report said.

Since the 1970s -- when the Vietnam war spilled over into the region -- Xaysomboun has been plagued by sporadic conflict between the government and ethnic Hmong militants.