BEIJING: A man rammed his car into a crowd in northeast China's Liaoning province, killing at least five persons, officials said on Sunday.
The man drove his black sedan into the crowd of people crossing a street in the city of Dalian at midnight on Saturday and fled the scene, the city's public security bureau said.
Four died at the scene and another was confirmed dead in hospital.
Five others, who sustained injuries, are receiving medical treatment in a hospital, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The driver surnamed Liu has been detained.
Following identification and examination, it was established that Liu was not driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, raising suspicion that it could be a wanton act to hurt people.
Incidents of random attacks on civilians by disgruntled persons have become common in China in recent years.