A car plowed into a crowd outside a stadium in China on Monday night, killing at least 35 people and injuring another 43, according to police reports. The 62-year-old driver has been arrested.
The injured, many of whom were reportedly exercising at the Zhuhai sports center, were transported to the hospital.
The incident occurred despite heightened security measures in the city, which is currently hosting a major political and military air show.
Most videos of the incident posted by eyewitnesses have since been removed from Chinese social media, but some footage still circulating online shows several individuals lying on the ground receiving assistance from medics and bystanders.
An eyewitness told a Chinese news outlet that at least six groups of people had gathered outside the stadium for their usual walk when the incident occurred.
“The vehicle circled, and many people were injured in all areas of the track,” the eyewitness described.
According to local media, children and elderly are among the injured.
Authorities said it was not immediately clear if the incident was an accident, but the 62-year-old driver has been detained. Police said initial investigations suggest the ramming attack was triggered by the man’s dissatisfaction with the outcome of a property settlement following his divorce.
They added that the man, identified only by his last name, Fan, drove “a small SUV through the gate and forced his way into the city’s sports center, ramming people who were exercising on the internal roads.”
