2023 Guangzhou car attack
On 11 January 2023, the driver of a black BMW X3 deliberately rammed his vehicle into a crowd of pedestrians and motorists on Tianhe Road in Guangzhou, China. Five people were killed and 13 others were injured. A 22-year-old man was arrested in connection to the attack and sentenced to death for endangering public safety by dangerous means.
| 2023 Guangzhou car attack | |
|---|---|
 Intersection where the first and third collisions occurred | |
  Tianhe Road Tianhe Road (Guangdong)  Tianhe Road Tianhe Road (China) | |
| Location | Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, China |
| Coordinates | 23.13177411172892°N 113.33130376906436°E |
| Date | January 11, 2023 17:25 (UTC+8) |
| Target | Pedestrians and motorists |
Attack type | Vehicle-ramming attack |
| Weapon | Black BMW X3 |
| Deaths | 5 |
| Injured | 13 |
| Perpetrator | Wen Qingyun |
Background
The site of the attack, which occurred during evening rush hour, is one of the busiest, densely packed commercial districts in Guangzhou.[1] The intersection at Tianhe and Tiyu East Road, where most of the casualties occurred, is known as "the busiest intersection in Guangzhou." The crosswalk connects two shopping plazas together.[2]
Attack
At approximately 17:25 on 11 January 2023, the driver turned south from Tianhe Road to Tiyu East Road, running over several pedestrians who were passing through the intersection. After driving to Tiyu East Road, he struck a pedestrian at the intersection of Tianhe South Road. He then returned to the first attack site and drove into more pedestrians. Driving east to Tianhe Road, he hit two delivery drivers and a bicycle rider near the Shipaiqiao Bus Station. He then turned into the intersection at Tianhe East Road and Tianhe South 2nd Road, where he struck more pedestrians. The driver proceeded to ram into a traffic policeman riding on a motorcycle, who survived. The car finally stopped after crashing into a guard rail that separated the motor lane from the bike lane.[3]
The suspect proceeded to exit the vehicle and throw Renminbi banknotes on the ground. He also attempted to flee the scene, but was subdued by witnesses in the area. As the suspect was being arrested, he claimed that his uncle was Huang Kunming, the Communist Party secretary of Guangdong and a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party.[4][5]
Five people died in the attack, the youngest being a six-year-old girl, and 13 others were injured.[6] The wounded victims were taken to and treated at local hospitals.[7]
Collision timeline
| # | Collision site | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intersection at Tianhe Road and Tiyu East Road | Multiple pedestrians were struck |
| 2 | Intersection at Tiyu East Road and Tianhe South 1st Road | A woman crossing the sidewalk was hit |
| 3 | Intersection at Tianhe Road and Tiyu East Road | Several pedestrians were knocked down |
| 4 | Near Shipaiqiao Bus Station on the south side of Tianhe Road | Three people were struck; two delivery drivers, and a pedestrian riding a bicycle |
| 5 | Intersection at Tianhe South 2nd Road and Tianhe East Road | More pedestrians, including a woman on the sidewalk, were hit |
| 6 | South side of the intersection at Tianhe South 2nd Road and Tiyu East Road | A traffic policeman was struck |
| Reference:[8] | ||
Perpetrator
At 19:36 on the night of the attack, Guangzhou police announced they arrested a suspect, Wen Qingyun (Chinese: 温庆运),[9] a 22-year-old man from Jieyang.[10] Three days later, he was charged with endangering public safety by dangerous means. Red Star News contacted Wen's father, who stated that at about 12:00, his son said he was going out to find friends, and then drove away.[11]
On April 18, 2023, the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced him to death and deprivation of political rights for life.[9]
Reactions
After the incident, citizens went to a station near the scene of the incident to lay flowers in mourning.[12]
Guangzhou police were criticized by the public for referring to the incident as a traffic accident. Some accused them of attempting to downplay the severity of the attack. The incident became a top trending topic on Weibo and other Chinese social media platforms. However, posts and comments relating to the attack were removed 24 hours later, leading to censorship allegations against Weibo.[13]
References
- Tsoi, Grace (12 January 2023). "China: Five dead after man drives into crowd in Guangzhou". BBC News. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ""广州最繁忙十字路口"将建地下人行道，有望连通地铁一号线" ["Guangzhou's busiest intersection" will build an underground walkway, which is expected to connect to Metro Line 1]. Sina (in Chinese). 26 August 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "廣州男駕寶馬故意撞人群 已致5死13傷" [5 dead and 13 injured as man drives BMW into crowd in Guangzhou]. Instant China (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 11 January 2023. Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- May, Tiffany (12 January 2023). "Driver Runs Down Pedestrians in Southern China, Killing at Least 5". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- Chang, Simone McCarthy,Wayne (12 January 2023). "Car plows into pedestrians in China, killing at least 5". CNN. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- Wanzhen, Cai (13 January 2023). "還原現場! 廣州車禍如同恐攻 男駕寶馬連6撞釀5死13傷 哭聲響徹半條街" [Restoring the scene! The car accident in Guangzhou was like a terrorist attack by a man driving a BMW. 6 collisions resulted in 5 deaths and 13 injuries]. Yahoo News (in Chinese). Retrieved 7 March 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Yang, Feng; Hao, Ying; Zhang, Yidan (11 January 2023). "广州一黑色宝马冲撞人群致5死13伤 司机已被控制" [A black BMW crashed into a crowd in Guangzhou, killing 5 and injuring 13. The driver has been brought under control]. Cover News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- 進安, 陳 (12 January 2023). "廣州BMW衝撞人群釀5死13傷 內媒還原6碰撞現場：車折返後又撞人" [Guangzhou BMW collides with crowd, 5 dead and 13 injured]. HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- 杜玮淦 (18 April 2023). "死刑！广州天河"1·11"驾车撞人案一审宣判" [Death penalty! Guangzhou Tianhe "1.11" driving and hitting case of first instance verdict]. Nanfang Daily (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 18 April 2023.
- "5死13伤！广州市中心发生一起交通事故_央广网" [5 dead and 13 injured: A traffic accident occurred in downtown Guangzhou]. China National Radio (in Chinese). 11 January 2023. Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- "广州驾车撞人致5死13伤的嫌犯温某被批准逮捕-中新网" [Wen Mou, the suspect who killed 5 and injured 13 in a car crash in Guangzhou, was approved for arrest]. China News Network (in Chinese). 14 January 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "6次碰撞！现场撒钱！还原广州天河交通事故6个瞬间" [6 collisions! Sprinkle money on the spot! Restore 6 Moments of Guangzhou Tianhe Traffic Accident]. Cover News (in Chinese). 12 January 2023. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- Feng, John (16 January 2023). "Police condemned for labeling BMW plowing into people "traffic accident"". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.