This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
On July 7, 2020, a devastating incident occurred in southwestern China, where a bus driver, later identified as Zhang, intentionally crashed his vehicle into a reservoir, resulting in the loss of 21 lives and injuring 15 others.
The tragic event unfolded just hours after Zhang's rented public house was demolished, leaving him homeless. According to the Anshun police, Zhang was 'unsatisfied with his life and with the demolition of his rented public house. In order to get noticed, he committed an extreme criminal act.'
Police investigations revealed that Zhang had been struggling to cope with the loss of his home. He had applied for compensation and new housing but was turned down. On the day of the crash, he found out that the house had been demolished, leaving him without a place to live.
Just before the crash, Zhang sent his girlfriend a voice message expressing 'world-weary' feelings. Shortly before driving the bus into the reservoir, he was seen drinking from a plastic beverage bottle in the driver's seat. At least 200ml of baijiu, a strong Chinese alcohol, was found by police near the crash site.
Zhang had been given the rental property when he worked at a diesel engine factory in Anshun's Xixiu district. He hadn't lived there for some time, but the demolition of his home had a profound impact on his life, leading him to take such a drastic and devastating action.
