Hong Kong (CNN) - A driver deliberately crashed a bus full of passengers in a reservoir in southwest China, hours after discovering that his home had been demolished, local police said on Monday.
Twenty-one people died and 15 were injured on July 7 when the bus detoured through five lanes, crashed into a railing and partially sank, according to police in Anshun city, Guizhou province.
There were 12 students on the bus at the time of the accident, five of whom died, according to state media. Some of the students were about to take their university entrance exams, known as the gaokao, reported China Central Television (CCTV).
The driver, surnamed Zhang, was among the dead.
“Zhang was dissatisfied with his life and with the demolition of his rented house. To be recognized, he committed an extreme criminal act, ”said the Anshun police statement.
According to the police, Zhang normally started his shift at noon, but on July 7, he asked another driver if he could start earlier.
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Just after 9 am, he bought a bottle of baijiu, a strong Chinese alcohol, before pouring it into a plastic beverage container.
Hours later, just before the accident, Zhang sent his girlfriend a voice message on the popular WeChat messaging app, saying he was "tired of the world," according to police.
Shortly before driving the bus to the depot, Zhang was seen drinking from a plastic drink bottle in the driver's seat. At least 200 ml of baijiu were found by the police near the scene of the accident.
State media China Daily said Zhang had been given the rental property when he worked at a diesel engine factory in Anshun's Xixiu district. According to the police, he had not lived there for some time.
Zhang knew the house was marked for demolition as part of a "slum reconstruction project," according to China Daily. He had applied for compensation and new housing, but although he was offered $ 10,360 for losing the house, he did not claim it and was turned down for new housing, state media said.
On the day of the accident, Zhang discovered that his home had been demolished, leaving him homeless.
Forced demolition of houses to provide space for new developments is a common occurrence in China, especially for people living in less developed or more rural areas. Developments sometimes leave former residents homeless and unable to pay for expensive new homes, without the safety net previously provided by the communist state.
