From ramming with car to bombings: Mass killings in China before Zhuhai attack

BEIJING — The Zhuhai attack in which a driver in southern China ploughed his car into a crowd of people and killed 35 people, severely injuring dozens more, has put the spotlight on a recent spate of similar attacks in China.

Below is a list of the biggest mass killing incidents in the country in recent years: 

22 May, 2014: Urumqi, Xinjiang region — Four men drove two SUVs into crowds of shoppers in a busy market and threw explosives out of the car windows, killing themselves and 39 others.

Sept 30 - Oct 1, 2015: Liuzhou, Guangxi, southern China — In a series of deadly bombings, a 33-year-old man killed 10 people and injured 51 others during a water festival held in the city. The suspect died in one of the bombings, police said. He had sent more than a dozen package bombs to locations such as shopping malls, hospitals and government buildings.

Jan 5, 2016: Yinchuan, Ningxia, North-western China — A man carried out an arson attack on a bus, killing 17 people and injuring 32 others.

Sept 12, 2018: Hengyang, Hunan, Southern China — A man rammed his car into a crowd in a public square and attacked people at the scene with a folding shovel and a dagger, killing 11 and injuring 44 more. According to the police, the suspect had been convicted multiple times for drug trafficking, theft, and harming others, which led to a "desire for revenge against society."

July 7, 2020: Anshun, Guizhou, South-western China — A 52-year-old man drove a bus into a lake, killing 21 people and injuring 15 more. According to police, the bus driver was dissatisfied with his life and was resentful over the demolition of public housing he rented.

Jan 11, 2023: Guangzhou, Guangdong, Southern China — A 22-year-old man rammed his car into a crowd in the business district, causing five deaths and 13 injuries. According to the court, the suspect had huge debts and had carried out the crime to "vent personal emotions".

June 11, 2024: Jilin, North-east China — A 55-year-old local man wounded four American instructors from a small Iowa university in a public park. The officials took more than 24 hours to disclose the attack and Chinese social media was scrubbed of images of the attack.

June 24, 2024: Suzhou, Jiangsu, Eastern China — An unemployed man in his 50s wounded three people in a knife attack on a Japanese school bus. A Japanese boy and his mother were injured and a Chinese employee who tried to protect the students died. State media and major social media platforms condemned "extreme nationalism" after the attack.

Sept 18, 2024: Shenzhen, Guangdong, Southern China — A 10-year-old Japanese student was fatally stabbed on his way to school by a 44-year-old unemployed man. The attack took place on the anniversary of an incident in 1931 that triggered war between China and Japan.

Sept 30, 2024: Shanghai, Eastern China - In a suburban supermarket, a 37-year-old man killed three people and injured 15 in a knife attack. According to an initial investigation by the police, the suspect had travelled to Shanghai to vent his anger following a personal financial dispute.

Oct 8, 2024: Guangzhou, Southern China — A 60-year-old man conducted a knife attack in front of a primary school located in the central area of the city. Three were injured, including two primary school students. The suspect had previously been convicted of attempted murder for stabbing his ex-girlfriend and was released from prison this March after serving his sentence.

Oct 28, 2024: Beijing — A 50-year-old male wounded five people including three minors in a knife attack near one of the city's top primary schools in Haidian district at the school dismissal time.

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