A rush-hour bus packed with Shanghai commuters caught fire Monday, killing three people and injuring at least 12, and authorities blamed a passenger carrying unspecified «flammable materials. » The accident came as China tightened security precautions ahead of the Olympic Games in Beijing, issuing a ban on carrying dangerous articles including explosives near the capital's Tiananmen Square, and allowing for spot inspections of people and vehicles. The three died when the No. 842 bus in Yangpu district in northern Shanghai caught fire at about 9 a.m. (0100 GMT), Shanghai police said in a brief statement on their Web site. It said a passenger carrying flammable materials caused the fire, but did not explain why or give any further details.
