By Gaurav Sharma

Beijing, Mar 22 (IANS): A man was shot dead by the police on Friday in China after he ploughed his car into a crowd, killing six persons including a child.

The incident was reported at about 6 a.m. at Taiping city in Hubei province.

The 44-year-old driver was identified as Cui Lidong, who owned a restaurant.

The Chinese media quoted the authorities as saying that Cui had assaulted his wife and daughter before driving his car into the crowd.

While there was one child among the dead, four children were injured.

The Beijing News quoted a witness as saying that the car ploughed randomly into pedestrians and other vehicles,

"There were bodies everywhere on the street," another witness told the media outlet.

Incidents like individuals randomly attacking people or driving into a crowd are on the rise in China, sparking public debate.

Earlier this month, a man was arrested for attacking several students outside a primary school in Hebei province.

Last September, a man drove a car into a crowd in central China before attacking pedestrians with a knife and shovel, killing 11 and injuring 44.