Police in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai have arrested a 62-year-old man after a suspected hit-and-run attack at a sports centre that resulted in multiple casualties.

A video of the scene following the attack on Monday evening, verified by Reuters, showed at least 20 people lying on the road. Cries of "terrorist" could be heard as ambulances arrived to take the injured to hospital.

The police, in a report, said they had taken a man surnamed Fan into custody for allegedly driving a small car into pedestrians outside the sports centre at 1948 (1148 GMT) before driving away. The police did not provide a motive.

Violent crime is rare in China due to tight security and strict gun laws. However, a rise in reports of knife attacks in large cities has drawn public attention to safety in public spaces.

In October, a knife attack in Beijing left five people wounded outside one of the city's top primary schools. A month earlier, a Japanese student was fatally stabbed outside his school in Shenzhen.

Zhuhai is hosting China's biggest annual air show this week where a new stealth jet fighter will be on display for the first time.

Reuters

Emergency personnel work near the site of a suspected hit-and-run attack, which left several wounded, outside a sports centre, in Zhuhai, China, November 11, 2024, in this still image taken from a social media video. Social Media/via REUTERS

Chinese police detain man after hit-and-run attack leaves several wounded