China removes makeshift memorials to victims of deadly car ramming attack

Officials in southern China ramped up security on Wednesday 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.

On Monday, the 62-year-old man surnamed Fan ploughed a small SUV through a gate to the complex in the city of Zhuhai and into crowds of people as they exercised on the roads inside, according to police.

An initial police statement said people had been injured, but did not mention any deaths — and videos of the attack later appeared to be scrubbed from China's social media platforms.

As of Wednesday, the rampage had left 35 people dead and 43 with injuries not deemed life-threatening, according to state media reports.

Journalists witnessed residents and delivery drivers laying bouquets at a gate outside the complex on Wednesday morning, before the flowers were carried behind a cordon fence within minutes.

"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," she added.

'All-out efforts'

Police said Fan was apprehended at the scene but was in a coma after self-inflicted knife injuries, 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 Wednesday, with plainclothes officers using their bodies and umbrellas to block reporters from taking photos and videos.

Since Tuesday night, journalists had observed people placing candles and flowers near the site of the attack to commemorate the victims.

But cleaning staff removed the memorials in the early hours of Wednesday, with some telling media that they were acting on an "order from the top".

Officials at the site said the items were being moved to a "mourning hall" inside the complex, with no access to the public.

Footage of Monday's incident geolocated showed people lying motionless on the ground, while others were seen frantically attempting to resuscitate the seemingly unconscious.

An eyewitness surnamed Liu told Chinese news magazine Caixin that the car "drove in a loop" around a dedicated exercise track encircling the stadium in the sports complex.

"People were hurt in all areas of the running track — east, south, west, and north," he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged "all-out efforts" to treat the injured and "demanded punishing the perpetrator in accordance with the law", according to state news agency Xinhua.

Rare crime

Violent crime is generally rare in China compared to many Western countries, but the Asian nation has witnessed a spate of deadly attacks in recent months.

In several cases, Beijing has described the killings as isolated incidents, or the motives of the perpetrators have not been publicly disclosed.

After the Zhuhai attack, Xi called on authorities to "strictly guard against the occurrence of extreme cases", Xinhua reported.

Monday's incident is on a par with some of China's deadliest attacks in recent memory.

In 2014, 31 people were killed and 143 were wounded in a knife attack at a railway station in the southwestern city of Kunming that officials later blamed on terrorism.