Zhuhai accident news: A hit-and-run attack at a sports centre in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai killed 35 people and severely injured 43, local police said on Tuesday (November 12). The incident happened at 7:48 p.m. (1148 GMT) on Monday (November 11), when a small off-road vehicle was driven into a large group of people exercising outside the sports centre.
A video posted on social media following the attack showed chaotic scenes on the road outside the sports centre, with people gathered around the wounded lying on the road. Another video showed police arriving at the scene of the attack.
VIDEO: Aftermath of hit-and-run case in Zhuhai
New agency Reuters confirmed the location from buildings’ facades and structure, jogging tracks and walls, which matched satellite imagery, street view imagery and file images. The date was confirmed by a statement from local police.
Zhuhai police arrested a divorced man
Zhuhai police said in a statement on Tuesday that the suspect, a 62-year-old man surnamed Fan, was being treated at a hospital after hurting himself with a knife in his car. Fan was apprehended by police at the scene after attempting to flee, police said, adding that he had self-harmed using a knife, causing severe neck injuries. Police said their preliminary investigation suggested the incident was triggered by Fan’s discontent following a divorce.
President Xi Jinping, cited by Chinese state television CCTV, ordered all-out efforts to treat the injured and demanded severe punishment for the perpetrator. The central government has dispatched a team to provide guidance on handling of the case, CCTV said. Violent crime is rare in China due to tight security and strict gun laws. However, a rise in reports of knife attacks in large cities has drawn public attention to safety in public spaces.
In October, a knife attack in Beijing left five people wounded outside one of the city’s top primary schools. A month earlier, a Japanese student was fatally stabbed outside his school in Shenzhen.
Zhuhai is hosting China’s biggest annual air show this week where a new stealth jet fighter will be on display for the first time.
(With inputs from agency)