Children injured as car crashes into crowd outside school in China

Several students were injured after an SUV crashed into a crowd outside a primary school in China’s Hunan province, the third violent incident on the streets in a week raising concerns about public safety.

The incident occurred during the morning rush hour on Tuesday as students were arriving for classes at the Yong’an Elementary school in the city of Changde, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Multiple students and adults were injured,” the agency said, adding that the exact number of people injured was still unknown.

The driver of the car, a white SUV, was subdued by parents and school security staff and handed over to police.

The reason for the crash was not immediately known.

Videos posted on social media of the aftermath showed children and adults lying on the ground receiving treatment and some students running away from the scene.

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One video showed an angry crowd attacking the car and thrashing the driver.

It was the latest in a recent series of violent incidents that have shocked the country and ignited a discussion about the toll of economic slowdown and the phenomenon of "taking revenge on society".

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At least eight people were killed and 17 wounded on Saturday after a former student went on a stabbing rampage at a vocational college in eastern China. The accused was identified by the surname Xu, 21, who was due to graduate this year but failed his exam.

There have been at least 19 incidents of violence in China this year in which the attacker was not known to the victims, according to police records, claiming the lives of 63 people and injuring 166.

This marks a sharp rise from last year when 16 people were killed and 40 injured.