SUV Crashes Into Students Outside Primary School in Southern China, Several Injured

An SUV crashed into students and pedestrians outside a primary school in Changde, Hunan province, injuring several. The incident comes amid rising concerns over violent attacks, with videos showing chaotic scenes and authorities investigating the cause.

An SUV ploughed into students and pedestrians outside a primary school in Changde city, Hunan province, on Tuesday morning, injuring several people, according to state media. The incident occurred as students were arriving for the day, sparking fears amid a recent spate of violent attacks in China.

Videos circulating on Chinese social media show chaotic scenes outside the Yongan Primary School, including young children running into the school compound, shouting for help. Footage depicts at least five injured individuals, including a student with a backpack, lying on the narrow street in front of the school.

A compact white SUV can be seen stopped beyond the school entrance. In one video, a man is surrounded by a crowd and apparently beaten with sticks and rods. Another clip shows the same man handcuffed and restrained on wet cement by a figure in uniform, with a woman’s voice claiming the driver acted alone.

State broadcaster CCTV confirmed the incident, reporting multiple injuries but no detailed count. The cause of the crash remains unclear, and authorities are investigating whether the act was deliberate. Reuters verified the video's location through visual analysis of the school and surrounding area but could not confirm the exact timing of the events.

This attack follows a deadly incident in Zhuhai, southern China, just over a week ago, where a driver rammed his vehicle into a crowd at a sports center, killing 35 people and severely injuring 43. The Zhuhai attack was the deadliest mass casualty incident in China in a decade.

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