- Car rampage in Southern China leaves at least 35 dead and 45 injured
- Mr Fan, 62, drove car into people exercising at Sports Centre
- Attack triggered by grievances over a divorce settlement
- Mr Fan was apprehended while attempting to flee the scene
Car rampage in Southern China leaves at least 35 dead
At least 35 people have been killed and 45 injured in a car attack at a stadium in Zhuhai, southern China, marking one of the deadliest public violence incidents in the country in decades. Police say the 62-year-old driver, identified as Mr Fan, deliberately crashed into groups of people exercising at the Zhuhai Sports Centre on Monday. The attack is believed to have been triggered by grievances over a divorce settlement. Mr Fan was apprehended while attempting to flee the scene and remains in a coma from self-inflicted wounds, according to authorities.
The tragedy has sparked national outrage, with President Xi Jinping pledging “severe punishment” for the perpetrator and calling for “all-out efforts” to aid the injured. Witnesses described the horrifying scene, with one individual recounting how the car sped onto the track and “knocked down many people.” The stadium, a popular exercise spot for locals, became a site of mourning on Tuesday as residents laid flowers and tributes for the victims.
China has seen an increase in violent public attacks recently, including a mass stabbing in February that left 21 dead. Incidents like these are often tightly censored online, and videos from Monday’s attack have already been removed from Chinese social media platforms.