HONG KONG – 35 people were killed and 43 injured when a driver deliberately crashed his car into a crowd outside a southern sports centre. ChineseTuesday, police said.

A 62-year-old man was detained at the scene after plowing his small all-terrain vehicle into people exercising at the Zhuhai Sports Center late Monday, the Zhuhai Public Security Bureau said. he said in a statementHe described the incident as “serious and grave”.

Police identified the person with the surname Fan. Police said that the man was in a coma after hurting himself with a knife in his car, his treatment was continuing and he could not be questioned.

Police said that according to the initial investigation, Fan was unhappy with the division of property after the divorce.

Fan is currently in criminal custody. Police reported that the injuries of 43 people in the incident were not life-threatening.

Geolocated videos obtained by NBC News show people lying on the ground covered in blood near the sports center and some people screaming.

In a relatively rare move, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for Fan to be “severely punished in accordance with the law.” state media Xinhua News reported.

According to Xinhua, under Xi’s instructions, a central government working group was sent to the region to direct and supervise response efforts.

The incident occurred on the eve of the Zhuhai air show, the country’s largest aerospace trade fair. China made its debut J-35A jetThe latest model of the stealth fighter jet.

News of the death toll sent shockwaves across Chinese social media, but the topic only ranked 11th on Weibo, China’s X-like platform that is subject to strict internet censorship.

“Apart from being shocked, I was left speechless. One person wrote on Weibo: I need a moment of silence to calm myself down.

China has recently witnessed a series of attacks on civilians, including children. strangers.

In September, The bus crashed into a group of students and parents At least 11 people died in the incident outside a school in the eastern province of Shandong.

Same month, a 10-year-old boy Japanese boy killed after being stabbed While attending a Japanese school in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

In October, on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, 3 people died and 15 people were injured A knife attack was carried out at a supermarket in Shanghai.