Explosive detonated at the US embassy in Beijing

A bomb has been detonated in a public area at the US Embassy in Beijing, close to the main compound, an embassy spokesperson told CNN.

A small amount of debris could be seen at the scene of the explosion, which occurred at about 1 p.m. local time (1 a.m. ET) on Thursday. An area outside the embassy in the Chinese capital's Chaoyang district is still cordoned off by authorities.

"There was one individual who detonated a bomb. Other than the bomber, there were no injuries. The local police responded," the US Embassy spokesperson said in a statement.

There is no word yet on their condition.

Many users on social media in the Chinese capital posted videos showing a large cloud of white smoke rising from the area around the embassy.

Most mentions of the explosion have been tightly censored and removed from China's social media site Weibo, including a large number of personal accounts.

The US Embassy in Beijing is one of the most secure in the world, with state of the art technology and a heavy security presence.

Developing story, more to come.