BEIJING — At least seven people died and more than 50 were wounded when a succession of explosions tore through a town in southern China on Wednesday in what the police said appeared to be attacks perpetrated by a local man.

The 17 explosions struck in the afternoon in Liucheng County in the Guangxi region, and the police said the blasts, in 13 sites, appeared to have been caused by explosives left in parcels, Xinhua, the main state news agency, reported. The blasts occurred near a government office in Dapu Township, the county seat, as well as near a marketplace, prison, bus station, hospital and other sites.

In addition to the dead and the 51 injured, two people were missing, the Guangxi police said in a summary of the case issued by the state news media. Other explosions struck nearby Liuzhou City, Xinhua reported, without providing details.

In the evening, the police in Guangxi said they had arrested a suspect, a man from the county, according to Xinhua. The report gave his surname, Wei, and said he was 33, but it offered no other details about his background or possible motives.