- Car ploughs into crowd in China, reports of 20 people injured
- 62-year-old man arrested
- The car accelerated toward groups walking around the stadium
- The incident coincides with the high-profile Zhuhai Airshow
Car ploughs into crowd in China, several injured
A car rammed into a crowd outside the Zhuhai Sports Centre in southern China on Monday evening, injuring multiple people, according to police. The driver, a 62-year-old man identified by the surname Fan, has been arrested.
Local media report that at least 20 people were hurt, many of whom were exercising on the stadium’s designated walking track at the time. Victims, including elderly individuals, teenagers, and children, were rushed to local hospitals for treatment.
Eyewitnesses described the horrifying scene. One bystander, identified as Mr. Chen, told Caixin that the car suddenly accelerated toward groups walking around the stadium, striking people on all sides of the track. “It drove in a loop, knocking down many people,” he recounted.
Videos of the incident briefly circulated on Chinese social media but were quickly removed. The remaining clips show paramedics and bystanders attending to victims, some of whom appeared unconscious.
The incident coincides with the high-profile Zhuhai Airshow, taking place just 40 kilometres (24 miles) from the stadium. The event, showcasing China’s advanced warplanes and drones, has heightened security across the city, with some entrances to the sports centre closed to “facilitate control.”
Authorities have not yet confirmed any connection between the incident and the airshow, which has drawn international attention, including the attendance of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
This tragic event comes amid a wave of violent public attacks in China. In September, a man killed three people and injured several others in a Shanghai supermarket stabbing. Around the same time, a 10-year-old Japanese student died after being stabbed near his school in southern China.