At least 35 people were killed and 43 injured after a man rammed his vehicle and then fled a group of people in front of a sports center in the Chinese city of Zhuhai (Canton, south), local police said Tuesday.
The incident occurred at 19.48 local time (11:48 GMT) on Monday, when the suspect, identified as Fan according to a police statement, ran over a group of pedestrians with a small car in the vicinity of the sports center in Xiangzhou district.
35 killed: Man runs down crowd of people
China: A man deliberately ran over a crowd with his 4×4 car at a sports center in Zhuhai, Guandong.
35 dead and many injured. Bodies strewn on the street and medical teams are already on the scene. pic.twitter.com/fF0bBMszWi
– Diario Panamá (@DiarioPanama) November 12, 2024
After the hit-and-run, the driver went on the run until he was apprehended by police “while he was holding a knife and trying to injure himself.“, according to local authorities.
Despite having caused serious injuries, Fan was taken to a medical center, where he is being treated in a hospital. unconscious and in custody police custody. For the time being, his condition has prevented him from being questioned, police said.
The lives of the 43 injured are not in danger.
From initial investigations, which included review of security camera footage, witness interviews and analysis of electronic evidence, authorities indicated that the attack may have been motivated by the “dissatisfaction” of the detainee regarding the division of assets. following their recent divorce.
Police have initiated criminal proceedings against Fan on charges of employing dangerous methods to attack the safety of the community.
The attack has sent shockwaves through China, whose president, Xi Jinping, on Tuesday urged “to realize all the possible efforts to care for the wounded” and demanded that the culprit be “punished in accordance with the law,” the official Xinhua news agency reported.
In the last year, the number of indiscriminate attacks on passers-by, usually perpetrated by knife-wielding assailants, has multiplied in the Asian country, although there have been reports of crowds being run over. Last year, a hit-and-run attack on a crowd of pedestrians also in the province of Canton left six dead and 29 injured.
The local press and internet users often categorize these episodes as. “revenge against society.” as these are attacks in which the perpetrator acts against innocent people motivated by frustration due to legal, sentimental or commercial disputes.