A man in northern China has driven a car carrying a gas canister and firecrackers into a crowd of schoolchildren, injuring 13, state media reported Tuesday.
It follows a wave of recent attacks on children in China, which have prompted authorities to increase security around schools and led to calls for research into the root causes of such violence.
In the latest attack on Monday, the man drove into a crowd of students in Hebei province, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing local police.
The report did not say how old the victims were, though the students at the school they attended would range in age from 11 to 18.
The man was identified as 48-year-old Yin Tiejun, who was described as divorced and without a stable job.
According to police, Yin set fire to a bottle of diesel in an attempt to burn the car after hitting the students. Police officers extinguished the fire and discovered the gas cannister and firecrackers in the boot of the car.
Yin, however, during questioning denied that they were for an attack. He was detained Tuesday on charges of endangering public safety.
The man's daughter was murdered three years ago, Xinhua said, adding he was upset with a court decision that did not sentence all the murderers to death.
Most of the students had minor injuries, but one suffered from a fractured skull, the foot bones of another were crushed and a third had broken blood vessels in his eyeballs, the report said, quoting local officials.
