Taiyuan, Shanxi, China. The bombings in Taiyuan comes days before the party plenum set to begin this weekend. (Creative Commons)

Police said the bombs appeared to be homemade and "improvised," the agency reported, as circuit boards and steel beads were found at the scene. 

The explosions occurred around 7:40 a.m. as government employees reported for work on the bustling main avenue of Yingze Street, pictured here, scattering the crowds and damaging two cars. Eight blasts were said to have gone off, after which a bomb squad was dispatched. 

An investigation is currently underway. Reports suggest that the attacks underscore a growing government worry about stability in a system plagued with corruption and income inequality. The bombings come a week after a car ploughed into a crowd of people at Tiananmen Square in Beijing in what China’s security chief, Meng Jianzhu, described as a “violent terrorist attack,” killing five and injuring 40. 

READ MORE: China's Tiananmen Square Crash Leaves 5 Dead

Security precautions have been raised to high-alert in preparation of the third party plenum in Beijing that will begin this weekend, where top leaders will discuss legislative reforms. Officials have been instructed to visit subway and train stations, inspect vehicle registrations and make sure fire exits are not blocked, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

Local governments were ordered to form the "Beijing security moat," a plan created a year ago in preparation of the 18th National Congress, "leaving no dead corners or blind areas,” said Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun. 

This is not the first bombing incident in China this year. In July, a man in a wheelchair set off a homemade explosive at the Beijing airport to draw attention to a beating by security guards that had left him disabled, saying that his efforts to petition for compensation and justice were unsuccessful. 

Reach Executive Producer Michelle Toh here.