35 dead hit by car, Beijing censors testimonies

A 62-year-old man ran over a group of people training yesterday and then tried to commit suicide, police said, citing family reasons. Responsible party officials spoke of the need to help “people in difficulty.” An aviation exhibition opened today in the city of Guangdong and next month President Xi Jinping would travel to Macau, near Zhuhai, for the inauguration of the new local government.

Zhihai (/Agencies) – At least 35 people died when they were hit by a car and another 43 were injured. The events occurred yesterday afternoon in a stadium in the city of Zhuhai, Guangdong province, in southern China, according to local police today. This morning an air force exhibition, held every two years, opened in the city. Beijing censored the news for hours, removing testimonies from the networks and broadcasting only official statements from government officials.

According to Chinese media reports, the episode occurred at 7:48 p.m. on Monday, November 11. The police explained that a 62-year-old man, identified only by his last name, Fan, broke down the doors of a sports center (closed until further notice) and ran over a group of people who were doing physical activity with his SUV. The man was taken to the hospital after attempting suicide, the police source added, explaining that the man – who is now in a coma – would have acted out of dissatisfaction and resentment following the division of assets in a divorce trial.

The state news agency “, while calling on local officials to “strengthen risk prevention and control and promptly resolve conflicts and disputes.” The Nanfang Daily, the official organ of the Chinese Communist Party in Guangdong province, also said that provincial officials met to discuss the case, and spoke about the need to help “people in difficulty.”

However, some western media They noted the delay of the Chinese authorities in allowing the news to circulate, especially considering that Zhuhai was preparing to inaugurate the aviation exhibition, which is attended by several national and foreign representatives. The death toll was only reported today, a day after the accident, and in the meantime the videos that witnesses had posted on Chinese social media, including local media interviews with those present, were deleted. Online searches on this topic only recently returned results.

In recent times there has been an increase in attacks by isolated individuals in China. In September three people were murdered in Shanghai, and a Japanese student was stabbed to death in Shenzhen. In October there were two other cases of people being stabbed near two schools.

The attack in Zhuhai is the most serious of these incidents in terms of the number of deaths. And the moment in which it occurred is also sensitive because – some emphasized – Xi Jinping is expected to visit Macau, located near Zhuhai, next month to inaugurate the new local government and celebrate the 25th anniversary of the city’s return to China from Portugal.