In a rural district of Beijing, a driver struck an unidentified number of children with a vehicle near an elementary school, as reported by police and media sources on Thursday. At this time, it remains uncertain whether this incident was another instance of a driver deliberately running into pedestrians within China.
A brief announcement from authorities in Beijing’s Miyun district described the incident as resulting from “improper operation” of the vehicle. The statement specified that the incident occurred near the meeting point of two streets, though it did not explicitly reference the nearby school or confirm whether any children were among the victims. An online map indicates that Miyun No. 1 Elementary School is located just north of the specified intersection. Miyun is situated approximately 60 kilometers (40 miles) from the heart of Beijing.
Eyewitness accounts from local shopkeepers shared with the Caixin news outlet revealed that several children had been injured. Moreover, a local hospital, along with another medical facility, confirmed that they were treating some of the injured children. As of now, it remains unclear whether there have been any fatalities.
In recent years, China has experienced multiple incidents where drivers struck pedestrians, often targeting school zones as well as occurrences of knife attacks targeting crowds. Authorities have previously suggested that the perpetrators were often individuals struggling with emotional distress or anger, channeling their frustrations towards innocent bystanders.
Following a particularly lethal incident in November, which resulted in the death of 35 individuals in Zhuhai, a city located on China’s southern coast, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has emphasized addressing this concerning issue. Consequently, to deter potential copycat crimes, reports about such attacks have been subject to censorship, with photos and comments regarding Thursday’s aftermath quickly removed from social media platforms.