Zhuhai: Dozens killed after man drives car into people exercising at sports centre
A 62-year-old man with a knife has been arrested after the disaster – with police saying a preliminary investigation found he was unhappy with a divorce settlement.
Thirty-five people have been killed and another 43 injured after a motorist deliberately drove a car into people exercising at a sports centre in the Chinese city of Zhuhai, police said.
A 62-year-old man, identified only by his family name of Fan, was detained at the centre after the incident took place at around 7:48pm local time (11:48am UK time) on Monday.
He was apprehended in the car, which was described as being a small off-road vehicle, as he tried to flee the scene, police said.
They added he had self-harmed using a knife, causing severe neck injuries.
He was later reported to be unconscious and receiving medical care in hospital.
A motive has not been confirmed but police said a preliminary investigation found he was unhappy with the split of financial assets in his divorce.
Officers said a “number of” pedestrians were knocked down in the incident which took place on the eve of a biennial People’s Liberation Army exhibition in the southern Chinese city.
China’s President Xi Jinping has called for “all-out efforts” to treat those injured in the disaster, the country’s television CCTV said.
Mr Xi also said the perpetrator should be punished in “accordance with the law”.
The central government has dispatched a team to provide guidance on the handling of the case, CCTV added.
A video of the scene following the attack showed at least 20 people lying on the ground.
Cries of “terrorist” could be heard as ambulances arrived to take the injured to hospital.
A clip also showed emergency services workers performing CPR on people at the scene, as others were told to leave the area.
News blogger and dissident Li Ying, who is better known on X as Teacher Li, shared clips showing dozens of people lying on the sports centre’s running track, with a woman in one saying: “My foot is broken.”
This is a shocking attack to take place in any country, and even more startling in China where a tight surveillance state makes such attacks rare.
But in China you won’t find an outpouring of public grief. The government wants to keep this under control and under wraps as much as possible.
Outside the stadium the police prevented filming.
And while a couple of dozen people were also outside, chatting and playing cards, they had been told by the police not to speak to the media about what happened.
It was so controlled it was hard to fathom that a day earlier 35 people were killed in a car-ramming.
A woman arrived with her two children carrying flowers to leave at the stadium entrance. She was the only one we saw.
She told us these types of attacks never happen in China, that her country is safe and secure and she trusts the government will investigate it properly.
We also spoke with a construction worker on a bike. He was clearly shaken by what happened and said he couldn’t find the words to describe how he was feeling.
Some people can’t find the words while others have been told not to say anything.
Either way, videos of the attack on Chinese social media have already been censored and disappeared from the internet here.
By Tuesday morning, searches for the incident were heavily censored on Chinese social media platforms.
A search on Weibo for the sports centre only turned up a few posts, with only a couple referring to the fact that something had happened, without pictures or details.
Articles by Chinese media about the incident from Monday night were taken down.
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Chinese internet censors take extra care to check social media ahead of and during major events, such as the meeting of the National People’s Congress, where the government announces its major policy initiatives for the coming year.
The sports centre for the city district of Xiangzhou regularly attracts hundreds of residents, where they can run on the track field, play soccer and take part in social dances. Following the incident, the centre announced it would be closed until further notice.
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 attention to safety in public spaces.
In October, a 50-year-old man was detained after he allegedly used a knife to attack children at a school in Beijing. Five people were injured.
In September, three people were killed in a knife attack in a Shanghai supermarket.
