China executes man for deadly car rampage that killed 35 people in Zhuhai

BEIJING: China has executed the man who killed 35 people by driving his car into a crowd at a sports centre in November, marking the deadliest public attack in the country in a decade, CNN reported, citing state media reports on Monday.

Fan Weiqiu (62) was executed shortly after being sentenced to death by a court in Zhuhai, China, a southern city where the attack occurred. This execution came just over three weeks after the verdict, CNN reported.

The car rampage in Zhuhai took place on November 11, when Fan, enraged by his failed marriage and perceived unfair divorce settlement, drove his off-road vehicle into a crowd of people exercising at the Zhuhai Sports Centre. Police later found Fan in the car, attempting to harm himself with a knife, and took him to a hospital.

The court deemed Fan’s actions extremely cruel and his motives vile, noting that the consequences were severe and had caused significant harm to society. This incident resulted in the highest death toll from a public attack in China since 2014, when a series of assaults occurred in Xinjiang.

At least 35 people have been killed and dozens injured in a car ramming attack in China after a driver ploughed into a crowd outside a sports centre in Zhuhai city. pic.twitter.com/kG4dSE0Jd7

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) November 13, 2024

The attack prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to call for harsh penalties, labelling the attack as “extremely vicious”, as reported by CNN. News of the executions was met with widespread approval on social media platforms like Weibo, where related hashtags gained millions of views and became trending topics.

According to CNN, in recent months, China has experienced a rise in violent incidents targeting random individuals, including children. These attacks have raised concerns as the country’s economic growth slows, unsettling a population used to low levels of violent crime and widespread surveillance. In response, authorities have increased security measures and called for swift, severe punishment for offenders to discourage future incidents, CNN reported.

On the same day, another man was executed in Wuxi, an eastern city in China, for killing eight people in a stabbing spree on a college campus in November. Xu Jiajin (21) was a recent graduate of the vocational college and was reportedly motivated by frustration over failing exams, not receiving a graduation certificate and dissatisfaction with his internship compensation.

Although China does not provide detailed information on the number of executions, it is believed to have the highest execution rate in the world, with thousands of people executed and sentenced to death each year, according to CNN, citing Amnesty International. (ANI)