Life is unfair.
We’ve heard that phrase many times, but when things happen to us, it’s difficult not to be angry and question, “of all people, why me?”
Unfortunately, while some people turn that anger into a drive to achieve better things, some act on it negatively instead.
And that’s what this bus driver in China did.
He was upset with his life, and after having a few sips of alcohol, he intentionally drove the bus he was driving into a reservoir in southern China. He died, but he dragged another 20 people down with him, five of whom were students.
The remaining 15 people who survived suffered multiple injuries.
What Actually Happened
According to police investigations in Anshun, Guizhou province, the bus driver was identified to be a 52-year-old man with the surname Zhang.
He was angry that despite having permanent lease rights to a home owned by a local authority, his house was scheduled for demolition as part of a “shantytown redevelopment plan”.
This fact made him furious, and he called a government hotline to complain that his house should not be destroyed before he was granted a new one.
Of course, where else would he stay, right?
But sadly, it seems that the complaint wasn’t enough and his house was demolished that fateful morning.
After seeing his house in ruins, he purchased alcohol at around 9.04am and poured it into a drink bottle. He then went to work at the bus company.
At 11.39am, he called his girlfriend and expressed “cynicism and pessimism”. Then, he got behind the wheel of the bus at 11.47am.
He began his shift and started driving, picking up and alighting passengers along the way. At one particular bus stop at around 12.09pm, he took a swig of alcohol out of his bottle.
Three minutes later, he snapped and made a wide left turn, crossed five lanes, and drove the bus off the road into the reservoir.
A total of 21 people was killed in this incident, including Zhang, and 15 people were injured.
Of all the people on the bus, 12 of them were students who had just completed their morning session of the national college entrance examination. Unfortunately, five of them died.
A video of the incident was also uploaded and it is absolutely heartbreaking to see.
Revenge On Society
It seemed clear that the incident was not an accident but rather, a deliberate act of revenge on society for doing such a thing to Zhang.
According to a police statement on Sunday, Zhang had initially signed an agreement with the local government on 8 June for a one-time compensation of 72,542.94 yuan (~S$14,440) for the destruction of his 40 square metre home.
For comparison, his house would be similar to the size of an HDB 2-room BTO here in Singapore.
However, despite the agreement, Zhang never claimed the money.
Apparently, he had applied for government housing rented out at below-market rates, but his application was not accepted.
In the end, the police said that Zhang had “committed an extreme public security crime targetting an unspecific group of people” with the purpose of “making an impact” out of his own anger with life and the destruction of his home.
In a separate statement, the Anshun government assured that further investigation of the demolition will be carried out and any wrongdoings will be punished.
Netizens React
The comments online were split.
One Weibo user commented, “It’s true that no one would agree to swap a 40 square metre flat for just 70,000 yuan. But the bus driver picked the wrong target for revenge. His act was total cowardness and hurt innocents.”
Another user commented on WeChat saying, “The weak have no way to resist the powerful, and in turn the weak turn on those who are weaker.”
It is a tragedy that such an incident happened.
If you know of someone or if you’re someone who is having suicidal thoughts, please seek help.
You can contact the Samaritans of Singapore at their 24-hour hotline 1800 221 4444 or email them at [email protected]. Please do not suffer in silence.
Watch this for a complete summary of what REALLY happened to Qoo10, and why it's like a K-drama:
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