China snuffs out memorials to victims of deadly car rampage

ZHUHAI (The Straits Times/ANN) -– Officials in southern China ramped up security on Nov 13 at the site of one of the country’s deadliest mass-casualty events in years, snuffing out makeshift memorials to the 35 people killed when a man drove a car into a crowd at a sports complex.

A man placing flowers at a stadium where 35 people were killed in one of China’s deadliest mass-casualty events in years.

On Nov 11, a 62-year-old man surnamed Fan ploughed a small sport utility vehicle through a gate to a sports complex and into crowds of people as they exercised on the roads inside, according to police.
An initial police statement said people were injured but did not mention any deaths, and videos of the attack later appeared to be scrubbed from China’s tightly controlled social media platforms.
As at the morning of Nov 13, the rampage had left 35 people dead and 43 with injuries not deemed life-threatening, according to state media reports.
Local residents and delivery drivers laid bouquets at a gate outside the complex on Nov 13 morning, but within minutes the flowers were carried behind a cordon fence.
“What happened wasn’t a small incident,” a woman of about 50 said, requesting anonymity to protect her privacy.
“We should remember those who passed away and not be so cold. I think more people in Zhuhai should come out here and lay some flowers in memorial.”
There have been no foreign casualties or fatalities in the car ramming attack in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Nov 13.
“The Chinese government has been and will continue to take effective measures to ensure people’s lives and social stability,” ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press briefing.
“As always, China will earnestly protect the safety of all foreigners in China and Chinese and foreign enterprises.”
A hashtag related to the attack shot to number one on the Weibo social media site but had been removed by Nov 13 afternoon.
Many comments appeared to have been removed or restricted, though some managed to slip through the cracks.
“Such vibrant lives, taken away like this, leaving families shattered. The perpetrator must be strictly punished,” one user wrote.
Police said Fan was apprehended at the scene but was in a coma after inflicting injuries to his neck and elsewhere with a knife, preventing them from interrogating him.
But the force said preliminary enquiries suggested the attack was “triggered by (Fan’s) dissatisfaction with the division of property following his divorce”.
Security at the scene was tight on Nov 13, with plainclothes officers using their bodies and umbrellas to block reporters from taking photos and videos.

(Latest Update November 13, 2024)