Children injured as car crashes into crowd outside school in China

Reason for crash not immediately known

Shweta Sharma
Tuesday 19 November 2024 02:18 EST
Comments
A person lies on the ground following a vehicle collision outside a primary school in Changde, Hunan province
A person lies on the ground following a vehicle collision outside a primary school in Changde, Hunan province (Social Media via REUTERS)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Several students were injured after an SUV crashed into a crowd outside a primary school in China’s Hunan province, the third violent incident on the streets in a week raising concerns about public safety.

The incident occurred during the morning rush hour on Tuesday as students were arriving for classes at the Yong’an Elementary school in the city of Changde, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Multiple students and adults were injured,” the agency said, adding that the exact number of people injured was still unknown.

The driver of the car, a white SUV, was subdued by parents and school security staff and handed over to police.

The reason for the crash was not immediately known.

Videos posted on social media of the aftermath showed children and adults lying on the ground receiving treatment and some students running away from the scene.

Aftermath of the incident outside a primary school in Changde
Aftermath of the incident outside a primary school in Changde (Reuters)

One video showed an angry crowd attacking the car and thrashing the driver.

It was the latest in a recent series of violent incidents that have shocked the country and ignited a discussion about the toll of economic slowdown and the phenomenon of "taking revenge on society".

A man breaks the SUV’s window following the crash outside a primary school in Changde
A man breaks the SUV’s window following the crash outside a primary school in Changde (Reuters)

At least eight people were killed and 17 wounded on Saturday after a former student went on a stabbing rampage at a vocational college in eastern China. The accused was identified by the surname Xu, 21, who was due to graduate this year but failed his exam.

There have been at least 19 incidents of violence in China this year in which the attacker was not known to the victims, according to police records, claiming the lives of 63 people and injuring 166.

This marks a sharp rise from last year when 16 people were killed and 40 injured.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in