35 killed, 43 hurt as 62-year-old man rams car into crowd in China

Thirty-five people were killed and 43 others injured when a 62-year-old man rammed his car into a crowd of people exercising at a sports centre on Monday in the Chinese city of Zhuhai, which is currently hosting the country's prestigious international air show.

Terming it a "major vicious incident", local police said the incident occurred around 7:48 pm on Monday when citizens were exercising at the sports centre where a large number of people gathered for physical workouts, the official media reported Tuesday.

An eyewitness, Chen, told Chinese news magazine Caixin that at least six groups had been at the stadium for their regular walks on Monday when the incident happened. He said his group had just completed its third lap around the stadium when a speeding car suddenly charged towards them, "knocking down many people".

"It drove in a loop, and people were hurt in all areas of the running track - east, south, west, and north," another eyewitness told Caixin, BBC reported.

Many elderly people, as well as teenagers and children, were among the injured.

The BBC said its journalists were told to stop filming when reporting from the stadium on Tuesday.

The police said the attacker, a divorced man identified as Fan, was quickly brought under control by the security personnel as he was fleeing the scene.

Responding officers found Fan in his vehicle attempting to self-harm with a knife.

They swiftly intervened and sent him to the hospital, it said.

Fan is still receiving medical treatment as he was unconscious due to severe injuries to his neck and other areas and is not yet fit to be questioned by the police, the state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the local police bureau as saying.

A preliminary investigation indicates that Fan's actions stemmed from his dissatisfaction with the property division outcome of his divorce, according to the police.

The police authorities have filed a case to investigate Fan on suspicion of endangering public safety by dangerous means and have placed him under criminal detention.

Further investigations into the case and medical treatment for the injured are underway.

While the reports of the incident are widely censored on official and social media, videos posted on Twitter showed distressing pictures of bodies lying on the street with injured people crying for help.

Though the incident took place on Monday evening, the Chinese official media released the reports only on Tuesday evening.

The incident occurred just as China opened its six-day high-profile air show Tuesday, attended by several foreigners besides overseas media. It took place about 40-km from the site of the airshow.

The Chinese military displayed a variety of fighter jets, including a new stealth fighter and drone ship, in the air show. Besides China, other countries like Russia also displayed their new fighter aircraft.

Speculation is rife whether the car-ramming incident targeting a large crowd at a sports centre ahead of the opening of the prestigious air show was aimed at casting a shadow over the event.

Expressing concern over the incident, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged all-out efforts to treat the injured.

He demanded the perpetrator be severely punished according to the law, Xinhua reported. Xi urged all localities and relevant authorities to draw lessons from the case and to strengthen their prevention and control of risks at the source.

He also emphasised the importance of resolving disputes in time, preventing the occurrence of extreme cases, and making every effort to safeguard the security of the people's lives and social stability.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for appropriate handling of the aftermath of the incident, swiftly investigating the case and severely punishing the perpetrator in accordance with the law.

Li also called for coordinated risk prevention and control efforts to ensure social stability. Following Xi's instruction, central authorities have dispatched a team to oversee the handling of the case, the report said.

Car ramming incidents, besides knife attacks on civilians, have taken place periodically in China in recent months.

The incidents are routinely blamed on disgruntled elements by security officials. In July, eight people died and five others injured after a vehicle crashed into pedestrians in Changsha City, the capital of China's central Hunan Province.

A 55-year-old man was arrested in the incident.