Car plows into crowd outside China sports center; 35 killed
A car driven by a 62-year-old man, whose surname is Fan, plowed into a crowd outside the Xiangzhou City District Sports Center in Zhuhai, southern China. The incident took place on Monday evening, killing 35 and injuring 43. Fan was arrested soon after the incident for deliberately driving his small SUV through the sports center's gate and into people exercising on its internal roads.
Driver found with self-inflicted wounds, now in coma
Following the crash, Fan was found inside his vehicle with self-inflicted knife wounds. He has been hospitalized and is currently in a coma, which prevents any interrogation. The police have termed this incident as a "serious and vicious attack." However, Fan's motive for driving into the crowd still remains unclear as investigations are underway.
Incident coincides with Zhuhai's major airshow
The incident comes just ahead of a major airshow organized by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Zhuhai. The airshow, which started on Tuesday, is China's largest annual event to showcase both civil and military aerospace advancements. The Xiangzhou City District Sports Center, which is now closed until further notice, is a popular venue for locals who run, play soccer and social dance there.
Chinese President calls for 'all-out efforts' to treat injured
In the wake of the tragedy, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for "all-out efforts" to treat the injured. He stressed the perpetrator should be punished according to law. Despite the severity of the incident, searches related to it on Chinese social media were heavily censored with many news reports being removed. The incident adds to a series of attacks in China where random people have been targeted, including recent knife attacks in Beijing and Shanghai.
