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2024 Zhuhai car attack

Coordinates: 22°16′36″N 113°31′46″E / 22.276652°N 113.529464°E / 22.276652; 113.529464
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2024 Zhuhai car attack
Mourners at the west gate of Zhuhai Sports Center the day after the incident
Map
Location of Zhuhai Sports Center in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
LocationZhuhai, Guangdong, China
Coordinates22°16′36″N 113°31′46″E / 22.276652°N 113.529464°E / 22.276652; 113.529464
Date11 November 2024
19:48 CST (UTC+08:00)
Attack type
Vehicle-ramming attack, Mass Murder
WeaponBeijing BJ40
Deaths35
Injured44 (including the perpetrator)
PerpetratorMan with the surname Fan
MotiveDissatisfaction with the division of marital property from his divorce (suspected)[1]

On 11 November 2024, a vehicle ramming attack occurred in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China. A vehicle drove through the exercise track at the Zhuhai Stadium sports center resulting in 35 deaths and 43 injuries.[2] Afterwards, the suspect was taken into custody and sent to a hospital after harming himself with a knife.[2] The man is believed to have been motivated by anger over a recent divorce settlement.[3]

The attack was censored online and details about it were not released until the day after the attack.[4][1] This caused tension on Chinese social media platforms, with people angered by the delay in publication of details.[3]

It was the largest loss of life in a single attack in China since the May 2014 Ürümqi attack.[5][3]

Attack

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A map of the sports center. The path the driver took through the walking track is marked in red.

At approximately 19:48 (GMT+8)[6] on 11 November 2024, an attacker drove an SUV into people exercising at the Zhuhai Sports Center running track.[7] There was heightened security in Zhuhai, which was to host a major civil and military airshow the next day.[8] An eyewitness said that the driver drove in a loop on the running track, striking many people.[9]

Some people struck to the ground were wearing sports uniforms from a local hiking team.[10] According to a witness, most of the victims were middle-aged and elderly people in hiking groups. There were typically six or seven hiking groups at the sports complex every day, walking in squares, accompanied by music. The loud music may have muffled the initial sounds of the attack, leaving people little time to react.[11]

The architect Xu Chengchun who designed the fitness center told Lianhe Zaobao that vehicles are not allowed in the square, which has stone bollards and fences set up all around it. He suspected that the perpetrator drove into the area from the other side of the stadium.[12]

On 12 November, Zhuhai Police said that the attack resulted in 35 deaths and 43 injuries.[2] On 13 November, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China said that no foreign nationals were among the victims. [13]

Media coverage

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Internet searches are usually heavily monitored prior to major events in China, thus, searches for the event and what happened were originally censored due to the upcoming Zhuhai Airshow.[1] During the first hours after the attack, Chinese media outlets were told not to report on the issue, according to BBC news.[14] Articles and posts including images and videos of the events on the day of the attack were censored during the first 24 hours after the attack. This caused tensions on Chinese social media platforms, with people being angered by the delay of details regarding the attack.[3] A hashtag mentioning the death toll was censored on Weibo.[14]

On the morning of 12 November, Weibo, a Chinese microblogging site, only had vague posts indicating that something had happened in Zhuhai.[1] Meanwhile, videos spread over X (formerly Twitter).[1][4] Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher posted a video on X of several people lying on the ground and a woman yelling in pain while a firefighter rendered aid to a victim.[15] X is banned in China.[5]

On 12 November, BBC News journalists were interrupted from their live coverage by suspected CCP officials masquerading as locals to prevent coverage.[16] A TBS Television reporter tweeted that he was surrounded by people when reporting before being brought to the police, who asked him to delete all his material.[17]

A researcher on Chinese censorship, Rose Luqiu from Hong Kong Baptist University, said that the information control on incidents with high death tolls is normal for China. She believed that the reason was to reduce panic and the copycat effect.[3]

Suspect

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According to the police, the alleged attacker was a 62-year-old divorced man with the surname Fan (Chinese: 樊).[2] He was found unconscious with wounds to his neck consistent with self-harm and was taken to hospital for treatment.[2] Police said that Fan entered a coma after he cut himself in the neck with a knife.[18] Early reports claimed that the attack stemmed from discontent over the financial settlement of his divorce.[7][2][1] Journalists have noted a China's economic downturn may be a contributing factor, suggesting relations between the trend of random attacks and the economic downturns and rising social pressures of the country.[19][20][21][5][3] A Chinese politics expert, Victor Shih from the University of California, said that with low domestic demand and the popped property bubble, Chinese families' wealth is diminishing overall, which would lead to tension in the Chinese society.[22]

The vehicle purportedly used in the attack was a Beijing BJ40, which is worth around 200,000 CNY and was bought from a local sales store. Fan purchased the car through a loan a week before the attack and picked it up on 10 November, just the day before.[23]

Aftermath

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West gate of the stadium on the day after the attack

A makeshift memorial was created at the location of the attack, but Chinese authorities quickly began removing wreaths, candles, and alcohol placed there, while cordoning off access to a makeshift vigil area.[3] Shortly after the attack, many local residents went to hospitals and blood banks to donate blood, forming long queues overnight.[24][25][26]

Local officials including the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Committee Secretary and mayor arrived at the scene to oversee the rescue operations and establish a task force to expedite medical treatment for the injured, investigate the attack, and support the victims’ families. The Zhuhai Sports Center issued a notice at around 9 p.m. on 11 November, announcing the immediate suspension of operations.[27] General Secretary of the CCP, Xi Jinping, along with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, issued directives on the evening of 12 November, calling for all efforts to treat the injured, severe punishment of the perpetrator according to the law, and measures to mitigate societal risks.[28] Huang Kunming, CCP Politburo member and CCP Secretary of Guangdong, held a series of video conferences following the attack, including a special session of the Guangdong Provincial Committee for Building a Safe Guangdong.[29][30]

On 12 November, Japan's embassy in China warned its nationals about personal security issues in China, advising Japanese people not to speak loudly in public.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Driver rams his car into crowd in China, killing 35. Police say he was upset about his divorce". AP News. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Dozens killed in Zhuhai, China, by driver who rammed car into crowd ahead of military expo, police say - CBS News". CBS News. 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Kirton, David; Chan, Nicoco (12 November 2024). "Zhuhai car attack: China clears memorial as government scrambles to respond". Reuters. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b Kirton, David (12 November 2024). "Zhuhai car attack kills 35 as driver rams into crowd in southern China". Reuters. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Wong, Foster (12 November 2024). "Driver Kills 35 in China's Deadliest Attack in at Least a Decade". Bloomberg. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  6. ^ Dang, Yuanyue (12 November 2024). "35 dead after car attack in Chinese city of Zhuhai, suspect arrested, police say". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b Alund, Natalie Neysa. "Driver rams SUV into crowd exercising in Zhuhai, China leaving 35 dead, dozens injured". USA TODAY. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  8. ^ Gan, Nectar (12 November 2024). "35 killed after car plows into crowds outside sports center in Chinese city, police say". CNN. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  9. ^ a b McDonell, Stephen; Mao, Frances (13 November 2024). "Zhuhai: Dozens killed in car rampage through Chinese stadium". BBC. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  10. ^ "越野車來回撞 珠海體園10死百傷 62歲男司機被捕 部分傷者屬長者健步團 - 20241112 - 中國". Ming Pao (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  11. ^ 林, 煇智 (13 November 2024). "珠海致命撞车事件目击者：受害者大多数是中老年人". Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese (Singapore)). Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  12. ^ 林, 煇智 (13 November 2024). "珠海越野车撞人35死43伤 学者：官方如何化解社会戾气至关重要". Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese (Singapore)). Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  13. ^ Jett, Jennifer; Austin, Henry (13 November 2024). "China removes memorials and censors online outrage after deadly car attack". NBC News. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  14. ^ a b Ng, Kelly (13 November 2024). "'Taking revenge on society': Deadly car attack sparks questions in China". BBC. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  15. ^ Hawkins, Amy (12 November 2024). "Dozens killed in China after car driven into sports centre". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  16. ^ McDonell, Stephen (12 November 2024). "When horror hits China, the first instinct is shut it down". BBC. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  17. ^ "TBS記者、中国で取材中「警察呼ばれ、全て素材削除させられた」 広東の車暴走死傷で". 産経新聞 (in Japanese). 13 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  18. ^ "At least 35 killed in China car ramming". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  19. ^ 日本放送協会 (12 November 2024). "中国の車暴走事件 日本大使館が滞在の日本人に注意呼びかけ | NHK". NHKニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  20. ^ "越野车冲撞珠海民众35人死亡43人受伤　社媒视频被急删". Radio Free Asia (in Chinese (China)). 12 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  21. ^ "中國報復社會暴力事件頻生 官方披露少真相難知" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Central News Agency (Taiwan). 13 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  22. ^ "At Least 35 Killed After Man Drives Into Crowd in Southern China". The New York Times. 12 November 2024. Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  23. ^ 林, 煇智 (13 November 2024). "珠海撞人案涉事越野车宽近两米 嫌犯事发前一天提车". Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese (Singapore)). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  24. ^ "Residents in China's Zhuhai city reel from deadly car rampage". The Straits Times. 13 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024. {{cite web}}: |first1= missing |last1= (help)
  25. ^ "Outpouring of blood donations in China's Zhuhai as residents rally to help car ramming victims". CNA. 13 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  26. ^ "珠海車撞人35死43傷｜捐血站排長龍 大量市民自發通宵排隊捐血". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 12 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  27. ^ "珠海市体育中心即刻起暂停开放". Zhuhai Stadium. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  28. ^ "习近平对广东珠海市驾车冲撞行人案件作出重要指示". 新华社. 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  29. ^ "广东召开会议传达学习习近平总书记对珠海市驾车冲撞行人案件作出的重要指示精神：全力以赴做好伤员救治和调查处置工作，举一反三开展问题排查整治". southcn.com. 12 November 2024.
  30. ^ "市委常委会召开会议 认真传达学习习近平总书记对珠海市驾车冲撞行人案件作出的重要指示精神". Zhuhai Daily. 13 November 2024.
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