Several children were injured when a vehicle crashed into the gate of an elementary school in central China’s Hunan province on Tuesday morning, according to reports. This shocking event marks the third major incident to have hit the country in the past seven days.
The vehicle strike occurred around 8 a.m. at Yong’an Elementary School in Changde, central China’s Hunan province, while students were arriving for classes. Few details about the incident have been released, leaving it unclear whether the vehicle lost control or if the crash was intentional.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported that several adults were also injured in the incident, which involved a small white SUV. The driver was subdued by parents and security guards at the scene. Some of the injured were taken to the hospital immediately, although the total number of casualties has not yet been confirmed.
Harrowing Aftermath
Videos circulating on Chinese social media captured the harrowing aftermath, with injured individuals sprawled on the ground as frightened students darted through the school gates seeking safety. The incident ignited a wave of outrage online, with many voicing deep frustration over reports of recurring acts of violence that appear to stem from personal vendettas against society.
Although China has significantly lower rates of violence compared to many other countries—partially due to its strict ban on personal gun ownership—incidents involving knives and homemade explosives remain a concern. Schools in China have frequently been targeted in attacks, with assailants using knives or vehicles as weapons, highlighting a troubling pattern of violence in educational settings.
What Major Incidents Has China Faced Recently?
A stabbing attack at a vocational school in Wuxi, an eastern Chinese city, claimed the lives of eight people and left 17 others injured on Saturday. This tragedy followed another violent incident in the southern city of Zhuhai, where a man drove his car into a crowded sports facility seven days ago, resulting in 35 deaths and 43 injuries. These back-to-back incidents have intensified concerns about public safety in China.
In September, a knife attack in a Shanghai supermarket left three people dead and 15 injured. Authorities reported that the suspect had personal financial disputes and traveled to Shanghai to “vent his anger.” Around the same time, in the southern city of Shenzhen, a Japanese schoolboy lost his life after being stabbed on his way to school.
China Internet Censorship
The Chinese government often censors internet content considered overly sensitive or politically charged, and some images from the recent school incident were quickly removed. With most Western social media platforms and search engines such as Google blocked in China, access to information is heavily restricted.
Despite this, some individuals use tools such as VPNs or share news through Chinese social media platforms before it is intercepted by censors. This brief window often allows fragments of information to circulate before disappearing from the internet.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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