Authorities have moved floral tributes to the victims inside. - Photo: Reuters
ZHUHAI, China:The man suspected of being responsible for a car attack that killed 35 people in southern China is still in a coma and cannot be questioned, the local authorities have said.
The suspect, a 62-year-old man surnamed Fan, remains in a stable condition in hospital after trying to cut his throat following Monday’s attack in Zhuhai, the city’s government told the Post.
The police have now arrested Fan, triggering a formal judicial process, state news agency Xinhua reported.
It took five days between Fan’s detention and the formal approval for his arrest – a relatively fast pace under Chinese criminal procedure.
He is accused of killing 35 people and injuring 43 others after an SUV was driven into crowds of people exercising at a local sports stadium.
Police have previously said he may have been motivated by his anger about a recent divorce settlement.
The People's Procuratorate of Zhuhai, Guangdong province, approved on Saturday the arrest of the suspect surnamed Fan in the "11.11" car-ramming case, on suspicion of endangering public safety. The case is currently under further investigation.
The incident occurred at 7:48 pm local time on Monday Nov 11, when the 62-year-old man, surnamed Fan, allegedly drove an SUV into a sports center in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, and hit a crowd of people who were exercising in the facility.
The incident caused 35 deaths and injuries to 43 others.
Fan was caught as he tried to cut himself with a knife in his car. He went into a coma as a result of the serious self-inflicted injuries in his neck and other parts of his body.
Meanwhile, Huang Kunming, Party secretary of Guangdong province, urged relevant departments and medical staff has instructed all officials involved to make every effort to treat the people who were injured in the car-ramming accident in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.
Huang likewise urged relevant departments to concentrate efforts on promoting the investigation of cases, quickly uncovering the truth of the fatal accident, severely punishing the perpetrator in accordance with the law and responding promptly to social concerns.
We must learn from the lessons, strengthen the governance of risk sources and closely monitor risks and hidden dangers in the field of public safety to prevent malignant cases and extreme accidents, he said.
Huang made the remarks when he visited the wounded in hospitals and the front-line workers handling the case in Zhuhai on Thursday.
To help better treat the wounded, more than 800 Zhuhai residents have donated more than 270,000 ml of blood since Monday evening.
gA preliminary investigation found that Fan was dissatisfied with the split of financial assets in his divorce, the police said, adding that Fan had been detained for further investigation.
