A driver deliberately drove his car into a crowd in China, killing 35 people and injuring dozens

A driver killed 35 people and seriously injured 43 others when he deliberately crashed his car into people exercising at a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, police said on Tuesday.

Police arrested a 62-year-old man at a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai following an outbreak on Monday night, the day before the city’s annual People’s Liberation Army air show.

Police identified the man only by his surname Fan, which is in line with the practice of Chinese authorities.

Fan was found in the car with a knife, with wounds to the neck believed to be self-inflicted, according to the statement. He is unconscious and receiving medical attention.

Almost 24 hours after the crime, it was not clear what the number of dead or injured is. One of the four hospitals that treated people said more than 20 were injured, state media reported on Monday. AP reporters calls to hospitals in the city were not answered, or were directed to other hospitals.

The sports center of Xiangzhou city district often attracts hundreds of residents, where they can run in the stadium, play football and social dance. After this incident, the center announced that it will be closed until further notice.

Information about the crash was checked inside China

On Tuesday morning, the search for this incident on Chinese social media was widely scrutinized on Chinese social media. A search on Weibo for the sports center turned up only a few posts, only a couple referring to the fact that something had happened, without pictures or details. Chinese media articles about Monday night’s incident have been taken down.

Despite the Great Firewall of China, on X, however, videos were able to spread. They were shared by news blogger and activist Li Ying, better known on X as Teacher Li. His account posts daily news based on user posts.

Dozens of people were sleeping watching the track at the sports center in the videos. In one, a woman says “my foot is broken.” The same video showed a firefighter performing CPR on a person, as people were told to leave the scene.

China’s internet censors take extra care to scour social media before and during major events, such as the National People’s Congress, when the government announces its major policy plans for the coming year.

China has seen many attacks where suspects appear to target random people such as school children.
In October, a 50-year-old man was arrested after allegedly using a knife to attack children at a school in Beijing. Five people were injured. In September, three people were killed in a knife attack at a Shanghai supermarket.