A series of blasts occurred in an open-air market in Xinjiang province, China, killing 31 and injuring 90 people.

Witnesses said they saw two cars charging through metal barriers and stores and running over people while its occupants hurled explosive materials from the windows. The incident occurred at 7:50 am, state news agency Xinhua said.

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According to China's Ministry of Public Security, this is the most serious terrorist attack that resulted in a lot of casualties. Domestic security chief Meng Jianzhu released a statement vowing to get back at those responsible for the deadly attack.

This morning, minister of public security Guo Shengkun went to Urumqi to oversee the investigation into the attack, China National Radio said.

The Xinjiang blast was the deadliest single violent attack in the province since the bloody Urumqi riots that killed 200 people in 2009. The days-long riots happened between the minority Uygurs and the Chinese ethnic majority Han.

Photos uploaded on Weibo showed scenes allegedly showing the aftermath of the blasts, with injured victims lying on the ground, and various items scattered across the street. According to Xinhua, several people were brought to medical institutions and that the site of the explosion had already been cordoned off.

China has pointed its finger at Xinjiang separatist militants for the recent knife and bomb attacks that happened in the region. For many years, the province has been subjected to violent attacks, but some rights activists say the state's own rules implemented in Xinjiang were the root cause of unrest.

Last month, a bomb exploded at a railway station in Urumqi, killing three and injuring 79. Two of the perpetrators were also killed in the explosion.

Since the Urumqi blast, China has tightened the security in the city. The railway bomb attack took place during President Xi Jinping's visit to the area.

TagsXinjiang blast, Xinjiang market explosion