BEIJING — An explosion rocked the street outside the United States Embassy in Beijing on Thursday, rattling a diplomatically sensitive area in the Chinese capital.

Smoke filled the air on a street not far from where many Chinese citizens line up each day to apply for visas to the United States.

The blast happened around 1 p.m. and was heard from blocks away. The police said a man set off a device made from fireworks that injured his hand. The man, 26, was detained and sent to a hospital. His injuries were not life threatening and no one else was hurt, the police said.

“Other than the bomber, no other people were injured and there was no damage to embassy property,” the embassy said in a security notice.