At least 35 people have died and 43 others are injured in an attack after a car drove through a sports centre in southern China.
Emergency services were called to the scene after reports a man had driven into crowds of people in Zhuhai — a city near the Chinese border with Macau.
Authorities say a 62-year-old driver attempted to flee the scene, but was stopped by police. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries and remains in a coma.
Local police have described the incident as “serious and vicious”.
Car attack
According to a statement from Zhuhai police, a driver rammed into crowds of people at a sports centre on Monday night, killing 35 and injuring dozens.
The driver was hospitalised in a serious condition. Authorities described his injuries as self-inflicted.
He has been detained and is expected to be questioned after receiving treatment.
Authorities confirmed there is no indication that the attack was related to a popular airshow, which is being hosted in Zhuhai this week.
Response
According to Reuters, users on the Chinese social media platform Weibo criticised authorities’ response to the attack.
One user said: “It took over 24 hours to learn about this incident.”
Many locals accused officials of censorship after dozens of images of the incident were allegedly removed from social media.
Mourners have since created a memorial outside the centre, with many laying candles and flowers.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for “coordinated risk prevention and control efforts to ensure social stability,” according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.
State-owned television station CCTV said President Xi Jinping has called for the suspect to face the full extent of the law, and said efforts to treat those injured in the attack should be prioritised.
Investigations are continuing.
