Deadly Car Crash at Beijing's Tiananmen Square

VOA News
28 October 2013 (7:50AM)

Chinese police say five people were killed and many hurt when a sports utility vehicle crashed into a crowd at Beijing's Tiananmen Square and burst into flames.

China's official Xinhua news agencyr says at least 38 people were injured when the vehicle veered into a large crowd at Tiananmen Gate. Police evacuated the area immediately after the crash, and closed the area as emergency personnel responded to the scene.

Barriers were erected to block onlookers' and photographers' views of the crash scene.

Tiananmen Square is the scene of the 1989 student-led pro-democracy protest that ended in a bloody crackdown by Chinese authorities. It is surrounded by the Great Hall of the People, the seat of China's parliament, and the mausoleum that holds the remains of Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist China.