Devastating Car Attack in Zhuhai, China
A violent attack in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai has left 35 people dead and 43 others severely injured. The incident occurred on Monday night at a sports center, marking one of the deadliest attacks in recent Chinese history.
The driver, identified as a 62-year-old man named Fan, rammed his car into a crowd at the facility, causing widespread chaos and panic. Authorities took nearly 24 hours to confirm the attack, which occurred in Zhuhai, a city of about 2.5 million residents near Macau.
Censorship and Delayed Reporting Spark Public Outrage
Videos and images of the scene quickly spread on social media, showing the aftermath of the attack, with dozens of people lying on the ground. In the footage, a car could be seen fleeing the scene. However, these posts were swiftly removed by Chinese authorities, and angry reactions about the delayed official announcement were also censored. A hashtag mentioning the death toll was deleted from Weibo, China’s major social media platform.
Driver’s Motive Linked to Personal Dispute
Police later revealed that the attacker, Fan, had been upset over a divorce settlement and the division of assets. It was reported that he sustained self-inflicted knife wounds to his neck and other parts of his body before being arrested.
Candles and flowers were placed at the scene on Tuesday evening, and a small crowd of people, including delivery drivers, gathered to mourn the victims. Approximately 300 rescue workers and healthcare professionals were deployed to treat the injured, with staff from five hospitals working around the clock to save lives.
Zhuhai Airshow Provides Context for the Attack
The attack occurred on the same night that Zhuhai was hosting China’s largest annual airshow, which attracted significant attention due to the display of a new stealth fighter jet. While there was no direct connection between the attack and the airshow, the tragedy occurred during a time of heightened public interest.
Taxi driver Guo, who was nearby at the time, described hearing loud sirens but initially assumed they were related to the airshow. “I thought it was for the airshow, but I’ve never heard sirens so loud before,” he said. When he later learned about the attack, he was shocked by its severity.
Public Reaction and Shock Across China
The attack shocked many across China. One Weibo user expressed disbelief, writing, “Even in today’s highly connected world, it took over 24 hours to learn about this incident.” Others were horrified by the scale of the tragedy, with one commenting that the death toll “makes every pore on my body stand on end.”
While the attack did not appear to be connected to the airshow, it was not the first violent incident to occur during such an event. In 2008, during a previous Zhuhai airshow, a man drove a truck into a crowded schoolyard, killing at least four people and injuring 20 others. That attacker was reportedly seeking revenge over a traffic dispute.
Government Response and Call for Justice
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for immediate efforts to treat the injured and promised that the attacker would face severe punishment. The central government has sent a team to oversee the handling of the case, according to state media.
Rising Concerns Over Public Safety in China
Violent crime is relatively rare in China, thanks to strict security measures and gun control laws. However, incidents of violence involving knives have been increasing, particularly in larger cities, raising concerns about safety in public spaces.
This attack is one of the deadliest in China in recent years. The most devastating attack in recent memory occurred in 2014 in Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang region, when suicide bombers killed 39 people in an act of terror.
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