Seven killed as man drives car into crowd in China

A man rammed his car into a crowd of pedestrians in China's central Hubei province, killing six persons and injuring seven others before being shot dead by the police on Friday.

Cui Lidong, 44, a restaurant owner, was reportedly involved in a domestic quarrel and attacked his wife and daughter before driving his car into the crowd, local government officials said.

The incident took place at around 6 AM (local time) in Zaoyang city, state-run CGTN reported.

While six pedestrians were killed, the police shot dead the driver.

The seven injured persons have been hospitalised, the report said.

A video published by news portal Thepaper.cn showed several people lying on the ground.

One witness said that the car ploughed randomly into pedestrians and other vehicles.

"There were bodies everywhere on the street," another witness was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

Incidents of random attacks on civilians by disgruntled persons have become common in China in recent years.

Last September, three people were killed and 43 others injured when a man drove his SUV into a crowd and later went on a stabbing spree in China's Hunan province.

Some persons carrying knives targeted primary schools and mall to vent out their anger.

In March, the police arrested a man in Tangshan for attacking several pupils outside a primary school.