A driver killed 35 people and severely injured another 43 when he deliberately rammed his car into people exercising at a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, police said Tuesday. The "serious and vicious attack" also injured 45 people - among them elderly and children, local media report. Police detained a 62-year-old man at the sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai following the ramming late Monday, on the eve of the country's premier aviation exhibition by the People's Liberation Army that's hosted annually in the city.

According to local police, who released a statement on Tuesday, they said their initial investigations suggested Mr. Fan's actions were triggered by a property dispute following his divorce. A fan was discovered in the car with a knife, with wounds to his neck thought to be self-harm injuries, according to the police statement. He is unconscious and receiving medical care. He was dissatisfied with the split of financial assets in his divorce, according to a preliminary investigation, police said.

The attack may be the deadliest act of random public violence in China in recent decades. A number have been reported this year including a mass stabbing and firearms attack in Shandong in February which killed at least 21 people. That incident was heavily censored by Chinese authorities. The police statement said the vehicle knocked down "several" pedestrians Monday evening.

By Tuesday morning, searches for information about the incident on Chinese social media platforms were being heavily censored. A search on Weibo, similar to X, for the sports center only turned up a few posts, with only a couple referring to the fact that something had happened there, and no pictures or details. Articles by Chinese media outlets about the incident from Monday night had been taken down.

As investigations into the incident continue, the tragic car rampage at the Chinese stadium serves as a painful reminder of the vulnerability of large public gatherings. With dozens of lives lost and many more shattered by injury and trauma, the attack has left an indelible mark on the nation. While the precise motives behind the attack remain unclear, the priority now is on providing support for the victims and ensuring such an atrocity does not occur again.