21 killed after driver deliberately drives bus into reservoir in China

A bus driver deliberately drove his vehicle off the road into a reservoir in southern China last week, killing 21 people on board in an act of vengeance over the government demolition of his former home, Xinhua news agency reported.

Fifteen others sustained injuries after the bus fell into the reservoir in the city of Anshun last Tuesday. The bus crashed through the guardrail and plunged into the reservoir in the city's Xixiu District.

Quoting the local police, the media reported on Sunday that 52-year-old driver, identified only by his surname Zhang, sank a bus into a reservoir in southwest China's Guizhou Province after consuming alcohol prior to the incident and plunged the bus out of dissatisfaction with his life and house demolition.

As per the police, Zhang is suspected of conducting "an extreme crime" that targetted an unspecified group of people and undermined public security and public property.

According to the police investigation, on the day of the incident, Zhang, bought alcohol and soft drinks near his house. He poured the alcohol into a soft drink bottle, put it into a black plastic bag and took it to work. Zhang drank alcohol when passengers were getting on and off the bus. At 12:12 pm on Tuesday (local time), Zhang slowed down the bus when reaching near the reservoir dam, waited until other vehicles passed, and suddenly speeded up the bus across five lanes and through the guardrail, before plunging into the reservoir.

Autopsy results and material evidence showed that Zhang drowned. Ethanol was detected in his body in multiple tests, while sleeping pills, sedatives, psychotolytic medicine and drugs were ruled out.

Investigators found that Zhang was living in a public-owned house provided by his employer when he started working in a diesel engine plant in Xixiu District. In June, Zhang signed a "relocation subsidy agreement" regarding the house with local authorities, but he did not take the money promised in the agreement.

Zhang also made an unsuccessful attempt to rent another public-owned house. On July 7, he found his public-owned house would be demolished.

Further investigation is underway.

Violations of law and discipline during the house demolition and petition handling processes, if there are any, will be severely dealt with, according to local authorities.

( With inputs from ANI )