- The Zhuhai attack, a tragic SUV incident in Guangdong, resulted in 35 deaths and 43 injuries at a sports complex. Public tributes have been restricted to private areas, accessible only to victims’ families.
- The 62-year-old assailant, motivated by dissatisfaction over divorce asset division, was apprehended after self-inflicted injuries.
- Criticism arose online about media censorship, coinciding with the Zhuhai Airshow, leading to speculation on silencing negative news.
- President Xi Jinping emphasized treating the injured and enhancing preventive measures to maintain societal safety.
- Some citizens linked the incident to broader socio-economic issues, while experts advised caution in making such connections.
- Concerns linger among locals about potential future violence.
In Zhuhai, Guangdong, a man’s SUV attack at a sports complex left 35 dead and 43 injured, sparking public grief and criticism of media suppression. Authorities revealed the 62-year-old suspect acted out of frustration over divorce-related asset division. The incident led to tributes being confined to private spaces. Online backlash questioned the limited reporting, believed to avoid distracting from the Zhuhai Airshow. President Xi Jinping called for comprehensive victim support and improved safety protocols. While some linked the violence to socio-economic strains, experts cautioned against drawing such conclusions. Fear of future incidents remains among residents.
Zhuhai Attack
In the quiet coastal town of Zhuhai, Guangdong, locals are feeling stunned by the recent tragedy of a man driving an SUV into a group of people working out at a sports complex, resulting in the deaths of 35 individuals and injuries to 43 others.
Since the police disclosed the death toll on Nov 12, individuals have been flocking to the location, placing flowers and lighting candles outside the barricaded facility now under heavy police monitoring.
Staff informed The Straits Times on Nov 12 that the tributes were relocated to a restricted section in the sports complex where only the families of the victims could visit, away from public view.
A resident, who arrived to lay flowers on the evening of Nov 12, expressed experiencing anger followed by sorrow as they spoke to The Straits Times and became emotional.
The man who lives and works in the area, but chose not to give his name, mentioned he did not expect this kind of situation to occur near him.
Another man who works in the vicinity also mentioned that he struggled to process the information about the attack, which he found out about through messages on WeChat from his friends.
Mr. Li, who is in his 20s, described Zhuhai as a city with a leisurely lifestyle where life is relaxed and cozy, bordering Macau with a population of 2.4 million.
Local media reported that residents went to hospitals and blood donation vans to donate blood to assist the injured following the attack. Reports indicated that taxi drivers had offered complimentary rides to transport blood donors.
Although a brief statement was released by the local police on the evening of the attack, it wasn’t until November 12th that the news became widely covered by national media.
Footage of a vehicle plowing through a crowd near a running track and individuals laying still on the ground were promptly removed from online platforms.
In a more detailed declaration on Nov 12, Zhuhai authorities revealed that the assailant, a 62-year-old individual known as Fan, was unhappy with how matrimonial assets were divided during his divorce.
The police stated that he was stopped by them while attempting to escape the crime scene, and he had caused himself serious injuries by using a knife to cut himself. They mentioned that he is currently in a hospital in a coma.
Online, there was a lot of anger about the media blackout, which some internet users think is because the authorities don’t want negative news to distract from the important Zhuhai Airshow in 2024, with over 1,000 companies and nearly 50 countries involved.
The largest air show in China is held every two years and serves as a key opportunity for the Chinese military to display its newest technology, such as stealth fighters and attack drones, to a global audience.
Posts allegedly written by relatives of the victims were taken down from social networking sites.
A Weibo user from Guangdong expressed confusion over the absence of information regarding the victims’ families on the Chinese internet. The hearts of several hundred individuals they impacted are behind the 35 deceased.
Another Weibo user expressed: “I don’t know since when, but even the privilege to experience sadness has been stripped away, all in the name of maintaining social order.”
Some people have also linked the censorship to the government’s concern about social unrest and imitation occurrences.
However, Mr. Wang, aged 28, who regularly works out at the sports complex, didn’t see the media blackout as a problem.
The manager of an advertising material company stated that the delay in verifying the death toll was quite standard to prevent social panic, especially during the air show.
Criticisms of the media blackout were also swiftly taken down.
Following the attack, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for full efforts to treat the injured and advised officials to learn from the incident to improve prevention and control measures at the source, as reported by Xinhua.
The report also highlighted the significance of protecting “the safety of individuals and societal harmony”, he added.
Certain online users connected the Zhuhai assault – along with various apparently arbitrary instances of violence in recent months – to socio-economic issues in China.
A user from Guangdong speculated that the economy is declining, unemployment is increasing, and there is a lack of rule of law, suggesting these might be the actual causes.
However, Yan Zi, a psychology consultant from Beijing, warned against jumping to such conclusions.
“I believe it’s somewhat random to attribute these radical occurrences to societal factors,” she stated.
Some Zhuhai residents expressed concerns to ST that such violence could happen again.
Hairdresser Tony Li, aged 30, described the attack as a form of revenge and questioned who wouldn’t be scared.
He explained that the culprit directed his anger towards the overall public, mentioning that patrons at his salon had been talking about the event.
Another local, 18-year-old Ms Liang, who is employed at a shop close to the sports facility, expressed: “If it happened once, it could happen again.”
She stated that her boss was participating in a large dance session at the sports hall when he almost got hit by the car.
Despite the low rate of violent crime in closely monitored China, a series of apparently arbitrary acts of violence, ranging from stabbings to vehicles intentionally hitting innocent passersby, have surfaced in the nation.
In October, a man aged 50 injured five individuals, including three children, in a stabbing incident outside a elementary school in Beijing. The statement should be restated and maintained under the same number of words in the input language.
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