As a result of an SUV driving into a crowd in Zhuhai, located in southern China, 35 people lost their lives, and another 43 were injured and hospitalized. This information comes from the South China Morning Post, citing local police, as reported by Tengrinews.kz.
The incident occurred on the evening of Monday, November 11, near a sports center. At the time of the tragedy, there were many people present who were out for a walk or exercising. Among the injured were numerous elderly individuals, teenagers, and children.
The driver of the vehicle was a 62-year-old man named Fan. Authorities apprehended the driver as he attempted to flee the scene of the crime.
"Police officers found that Fan was inflicting injuries on himself with a knife while sitting in the car, after which they promptly detained him and sent him to the hospital," the police reported.
Preliminary reports suggest that Fan's behavior may have been influenced by dissatisfaction with the division of property following a divorce. A criminal case has been initiated against the suspect.
According to RIA Novosti, the President of China, Xi Jinping, has ordered strict legal action against the driver, whom he referred to as a criminal. He also instructed that all efforts be made to save the injured and provide assistance to the victims and their families.
Meanwhile, information regarding the deadly incident, which occurred just a day before the start of the Airshow China 2024, traditionally held in Zhuhai, has been censored in Chinese media and social networks, reports DW. Within 24 hours after the crime, it was unclear how many people had died or been injured.
"On Tuesday morning, the search for information about the incident on Chinese social networks faced severe censorship," journalists report.
In searching for the sports club on Weibo, where the incident took place, "only a few posts were found stating that something had happened, with no photos or details." Articles from Chinese media about the incident, published on Monday evening, were removed.
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