35 killed after car ploughs into crowd in China
A man drove his car into a crowd of people exercising at a stadium in Zhuhai, southern China, killing at least 35 people and injuring 43 others Monday, authorities said.
A 62-year-old male driver, Mr. Fan drove his SUV through a roadblock at the Zhuhai Sports Center in what local police described as a “serious and vicious attack.”
Chinese media reported that among the injured were many elderly people, teenagers and children. The driver was arrested while trying to escape and is now in a coma due to self-inflicted injuries, police said.
BBC reporters covering the stadium on Tuesday were told to stop filming amid reports the incident was being censored online in China.
As of Tuesday morning, most of the footage of the incident shared by witnesses had been removed from Chinese social media, but some videos remained online showing dozens of people lying on the ground being attended to by paramedics and bystanders.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “all-out efforts” to treat the injured and “severe punishment” for the perpetrators.
The incident occurred amid tight security in Zhuhai, which is hosting a major international military air show this week.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the attack was triggered by Mr. Fan’s dissatisfaction with the divorce property agreement. Police said he has not yet been questioned as he remains unconscious.
In China, it is common for sports venues to be used by locals as places for regular exercise.
An eyewitness, Mr. Chen, told Chinese news magazine Caixin that at least six groups of people were taking a routine walk at the stadium when the incident occurred.
The groups use a designated walking path along the perimeter of the stadium.
Mr Chen said his team had just completed their third lap around the stadium when a car suddenly rushed towards them at high speed, “knocking down a lot of people”.
Another eyewitness told Caixin: “The car was driving in a circle, and people were injured in various areas east, south, west and north of the runway.”
The incident occurred 40 kilometers (24 miles) away from another venue where the high-profile China Air Show opens on Tuesday.
China will showcase its latest fighter jets and attack drones at the show, which is expected to be attended by senior Russian defense official and former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Multiple entrances and exits to the sports center were closed during the air show to facilitate “control,” the center’s management said on Tuesday.
China has seen a series of violent attacks against members of the public in recent months.
In October, a knife attack occurred at a top school in Beijing, injuring five people; in September, a man continued to attack with a knife. A knife attack occurred in a supermarket in Shanghaikilling three people and injuring many others.
Also in September, A 10-year-old Japanese student died A day earlier, he was stabbed near his school in southern China.
Japan’s embassy warned its nationals living in the country to avoid speaking Japanese loudly in public following Monday’s car attack.
