35 killed in China as car ploughs into crowds

KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 35 people have been killed after a man ploughed his car into crowds exercising at an outdoor sports centre in southern China, media reports said on Wednesday.

Another 43 people were injured and hospitalised as a result of the rampage in the southern city of Zhuhai on Monday night, Reuters reported.

It said the driver, identified as a 62-year-old man surnamed Fan, was apprehended while trying to flee the scene. An initial investigation suggested he was unhappy with the outcome of a divorce settlement.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping described the mass hit-and-run in Zhuhai as “extremely vicious,” calling for the perpetrator to be severely punished in accordance with the law, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Police said Fan’s small off-road vehicle forced its way into the grounds at the sports complex and hit people exercising around a track at around 7:48pm.

When police intercepted his escape, Fan was found self-harming with a knife in the car and taken to hospital for treatment, the statement said.

“Due to severe self-inflicted neck injuries, Fan is currently unconscious, still undergoing emergency treatment and unable to be interrogated,” police said.

The car rampage took place the night before Zhuhai was hosting China’s biggest civil and military airshow, which runs from November 12 to 17.

kk/mud