CHINA TOPIX

11/02/2024 11:23:20 am

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Shenzen Airport Accident Death Toll Climbs To Nine

The death toll in the tragic car accident at the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport climbed to nine after four of the injured died in the hospital.

On Sunday afternoon, a red sedan plowed into pedestrians along an airport overpass, killing five people on the spot. The 24-year-old female driver allegedly lost control of her vehicle after a car, which blew a loud honk, caused her to panic.

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Police have taken the driver in for questioning.

The number of people hurt is down to 23, with five currently battling for their lives. 

The Bao'an International Airport in China's Guangdong Province had an overpass with a view of taxiing planes. Some 30 people were taking photos of the planes when the car rammed onto them. 

The five-lane overpass was not intended for pedestrians, but did not have signs to caution people. But a spokesperson for the airport said guards regularly patrol the area to prevent people from walking along the overpass.

Nevertheless, the airport vowed to put up warning signs and deploy personnel to monitor the area, to prevent same incidents from happening in the future. 

Serious road accidents in China had been common in recent years. The usual cause of accidents were attributed to driver's error, overloaded vehicles and bad road conditions.

China is also seen as newbie in the business of driving cars. Government data showed fifteen million cars are added each year on China roads in the past decade.

Car ownership has risen so fast that majority of drivers on the road lack experience and are incapable of handling emergency situations. Inexperienced drivers are so many that there is already a Chinese term for it --- "benbenzu."

Newbie drivers include wealthy individuals who have never driven cars before because they rely on chauffeurs all their lives. Some are newly-licensed drivers who get so anxious that they hit the roads.

The government has launched several campaigns to reduce road accidents, including posting of gory photos that depict results of reckless driving.

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