Society

Tianjin road rampage kills 9

By Wang Yu in Tianjin and Lan Tian in Beijing (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-02 06:45

A 40-year-old man who hijacked his employer's bus and killed nine people as he careened through the port city of Tianjin yesterday morning was in critical condition last night after he tried to commit suicide.

Zhang Yimin, a dispatch clerk at Tianbao Transportation Company located in Tianjin's economic development zone, was caught after a furious police chase, the city's information office said.

He allegedly stole the empty company bus, plowed through the city streets near the company, and deliberately hit several vehicles, bicycle riders and pedestrians. Apart from the nine people killed, 11 others were injured.

When police caught Zhang, he tried to commit suicide by cutting his throat with a knife, and was taken to hospital.

The suspect was undergoing emergency treatment and it was not clear whether he would survive, a source who witnessed the accident told China Daily yesterday.

Before he set off on his killing spree, Zhang - for reasons not yet clear - injured a colleague surnamed Li with a knife in an argument at around 8 am, according to the information office.

Police sent dozens of vehicles and finally caught the suspect at the intersection of Beihai Road and No 9 Street in the development zone. Before the chase ended, Zhang hit three police vehicles and injured four policemen.

Both the municipal government and the company refused to comment or give further details.

Yao Enna, a clerk at a materials store located at nearby No 11 Street, said one of her colleagues had an internal head injury after being hit by Zhang and was in hospital.

"At about 9 am, I heard the sound of screeching sirens and I rushed to the office window. I saw two police cars speeding down the street. Later, I was told that a male colleague was knocked down by the bus in front of the company gate and was taken to hospital.

"I was shocked after reading news reports about the suspect deliberately knocking down pedestrians and crashing into other cars. I think he was totally irresponsible and insane," she said.

"No matter what provocation the suspect faced, the dead and injured are all innocent. Such a misfortune should not have been visited upon them," said a security guard surnamed Han at a furniture company on No 7 Street. He said the bus had plowed into cars waiting for the red light.

Several injured people were taken to Tianjin Economic Development Zone Hospital and some were in critical condition, said Du Jinshu, a hospital official.

Some others were under treatment in Tianjin No 5 Center Hospital, said a doctor at the hospital.

Li Xiang contributed to the story