On the evening of November 11, a 62-year-old man surnamed Fan drove a car onto the track of the sports center in Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai, Guangdong, and indiscriminately hit people. Witnesses reported that dozens, possibly hundreds of people were run over. Videos circulating on the internet show numerous students being hit in a gruesome scene.
Chinese netizens shared that around 8 p.m. on November 11, an off-road vehicle crashed into a crowd walking at the sports center in Zhuhai. Photos from the scene show multiple people lying on the road.
On the social media platform X, a verified user named Luo Xiang uploaded related videos and posted: “On the evening of November 11, 2024, around 8 p.m., a sudden incident occurred at the Zhuhai Sports Center! An off-road vehicle suddenly sped onto the track and rammed into the crowd of people running and exercising on the circular track, hitting people along the way. Witness estimates suggest that the number of casualties has already exceeded a hundred!”
Witnesses at the scene stated that the driver intentionally hit people, running over dozens, potentially hundreds of individuals. Many students in different school uniforms were seen lying on the ground in a horrific scene.
According to information from 120 emergency services in Zhuhai, the injured from the accident were taken to four hospitals, with the exact number of casualties yet to be counted. An employee from the Emergency Department of Zhongshan Wuyi Hospital, one of the hospitals, informed a local newspaper that they had already received over 20 injured.
Subsequently, the Xiangzhou Branch of the Zhuhai Public Security Bureau released a police report stating that at around 7:48 p.m., a sedan hit multiple pedestrians at the Zhuhai Sports Center in Xiangzhou District and then fled the scene. Upon receiving the report, the police dispatched officers to the location for handling and assisted in transferring the injured to hospitals for treatment.
The report also mentioned that the 62-year-old man surnamed Fan has been apprehended by the police, and investigations are currently ongoing.
Informed netizens commented: “This was premeditated, the car was parked on the 10th, and tonight it was used to run over the crowd.” “Passing by the sports center, traffic was restricted, the driver entered the track and hit the pedestrians, circling several times, causing great harm to many families! The scene was terrifying.”
“Dozens of people have fallen! No matter what, innocent civilians should not be involved.” “There are likely more casualties since four hospitals are treating the injured, and it was reported that over twenty were taken in at the Zhongshan Wuyi Hospital.” “This was a deliberate act of driving into the venue to intentionally harm society.” “It’s hard not to think there was intent given the timing and location.”
Of note, from November 12 to 17, the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition will be held in Zhuhai.
The Zhuhai Sports Center is the largest sports venue in Zhuhai, completed in 1998. The memorable football scenes from the blockbuster film “Shaolin Soccer” starring Stephen Chow in 1999 were shot here. The main facilities at the center include the stadium, gymnasium, swimming pool, shooting range, training hall, tennis center, and sports park, where many people enjoy walking or dancing in the square nearby.