Chinese authorities have detained a man suspected of starting a fire on a bus that claimed the lives of 17 people, state media reports say.

On Tuesday, officials said a man named Ma Yongping had been arrested for being involved in the fire, which also left about 30 people wounded in the city of Yinchuan in the northern province of Ningxia.

Police sources said Ma was detained following a manhunt. The motive behind the incident is not known. The man arrested was however said to be suicidal.

Over the past few years, there have been a number of incidents involving what are said to be arsonists setting fire to buses. In 2014, a suicidal man set a bus on fire, leaving 30 people wounded. Also, in June 2013, some 47 people were killed in a bus fire in eastern China.