HONG KONG — A tragic incident unfolded outside the Zhuhai Sports Center in southern China, where a driver deliberately plowed his vehicle into a crowd, killing 35 people and injuring 43 more. Authorities detained the 62-year-old driver, identified only by his last name, Fan, at the scene. The Zhuhai Public Security Bureau described the attack, which took place late Monday, as “serious and vicious.”
Fan, who reportedly harbored resentment over property division after a recent divorce, drove a small off-road vehicle into a group of people exercising outside the sports center. Police found him in his car with self-inflicted knife wounds, rendering him unconscious and unfit for immediate questioning. Fan remains under criminal detention, and police have stated that he is currently in a non-life-threatening condition.
The victims’ injuries are reportedly stable, and emergency personnel are continuing to manage the aftermath. Disturbing video footage, verified and geolocated by NBC News, captured the tragic scene, showing bodies on the ground and bystanders grieving in shock.
In a rare public statement, Chinese President Xi Jinping condemned the attack and demanded Fan’s “severe punishment in accordance with the law.” Under Xi’s direction, a central government team has been dispatched to Zhuhai to assist local authorities in coordinating response efforts.
The incident has shocked Chinese social media, despite restrictions on content related to the tragedy. On Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, users expressed their disbelief and sorrow, with one commenter writing, “I’m utterly speechless aside from being shocked. I need a moment of silence to calm myself down.” Despite the outpouring of grief online, the topic ranked only 11th on Weibo, a reminder of the platform’s strict censorship protocols.
The attack happened just before the opening of the Zhuhai Airshow, China’s largest aerospace expo, where the country showcased the J-35A, its newest stealth fighter jet model.
This tragic event is part of a worrying trend of civilian-targeted violence in China, which has seen several high-profile attacks in recent months. In September, a bus drove into a group outside a school in Shandong, killing 11 people. That same month, a Japanese boy was fatally stabbed in Shenzhen. In October, on the eve of China’s 75th National Day, three people were killed and 15 injured in a knife attack at a Shanghai supermarket.
With the frequency of such incidents rising, public concerns continue to grow, as people mourn the lives lost and hope for stronger measures to prevent similar tragedies.–News Desk