Serious car crash in China, up to 35 people died

(CLO) A driver crashed his car into a crowd at a sports center in the Chinese city of Zhuhai, killing 35 people and seriously injuring 43. This is one of the most serious attacks in China in many years.

Chinese authorities said the incident happened Monday night in Zhuhai, a city of about 2.5 million people in southern China near Macau.

Images and videos showing dozens of people being knocked to the ground and a car fleeing the scene were circulated on major Chinese social media platforms on Monday night.

Injured people lie on the ground after a car crash outside a sports center in Zhuhai, China on November 11, 2024. Screenshot

Police said the 62-year-old driver, surnamed Fan, was arrested and hospitalized with what appeared to be self-inflicted knife wounds to his neck and other parts of his body. Police said Fan was angry about the division of assets in his divorce settlement.

People placed candles and flowers at the scene on Tuesday evening. Hundreds of rescue workers from Zhuhai city and Guangdong province were deployed to provide emergency treatment, and more than 300 medical staff from five hospitals worked around the clock to save lives, the Beijing Daily reported.

The attack came as Zhuhai was attracting attention from China with the People's Liberation Army's largest annual air show, where a new stealth fighter was displayed for the first time.

"I was driving nearby last night and heard sirens everywhere. I thought it was an air show siren but I've never heard such a loud siren," said a taxi driver surnamed Guo. "Afterwards, passengers said there was a hit-and-run, I didn't expect it to be so serious."

There was no indication that the attack was related to the air show. But it was the second such incident to occur at the Zhuhai air show: in 2008, at least four people were killed and 20 injured when a man drove a truck into a crowded schoolyard during an air show. Police said the attacker was seeking revenge over a traffic dispute.

According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out efforts to treat the injured and demanded severe punishment for the perpetrators.

Bui Huy (according to CCTV, Beijing Daily, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/dam-xe-nghiem-trong-o-trung-quoc-co-toi-35-nguoi-thiet-mang-post321104.html