BEIJING – At least five people were killed and 21 injured after a hijackedbus crashed into pedestrians in east China’s Fujian province on Tuesdayafternoon, state media reported.
A hijacker carrying a knife has been detained and is being investigated bylocal police, state television CGTN reported.
The incident happened at about 3:20 pm in the city of Longyan, the localMinxi Ribao newspaper reported. A policeman was among the five confirmeddead.
In a video posted by Duowei news, a Chinese media outlet based in the US,several injured people were lying on the street near a crashed bus, itsfront badly damaged.
It also showed police wrestling a person to the ground.
Blood could also be seen on the steps of the bus, which had been stopped inthe middle of a road.
The hijacker had attacked a female passenger before taking control of thebus, Duowei reported.
The suspect has not been identified and Longyan public security bureaudeclined to comment when contacted by AFP.
China has suffered a spate of similar incidents this year.
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In late November, a car ploughed into a group of children crossing a streetin front of an elementary school in the northeastern Liaoning province,killing five people and injuring at least 19.
The driver said he “chose his victims at random” and had reportedly beencontemplating suicide due to domestic troubles before the tragedy occurred.
In October, three people were killed when a man fleeing after committing astabbing drove into a crowd and attacked onlookers in the eastern provinceof Zhejiang.
The month before, a man ploughed a truck into a crowd in Hunan province andwent on a rampage, attacking onlookers with knives and a shovel. Elevendied and 44 were injured.
Grisly car accidents are common in China, where transportation authoritieshave struggled to enforce safety regulations, which are often flouted or gounenforced.
Violent crime has also been on the rise in China in recent decades as thegap between rich and poor has widened rapidly.
Studies have also described a rise in the prevalence of mental disorders,some of them linked to stress as the pace of life becomes faster andsupport systems wither. – APP / AFP
