VIDEO: Man goes on excavator rampage, damages Chinese government building in Xi'an

A man drove an excavator into a government building in Shaanxi Province of China, demolishing its entrance and damaging several sections of the building. The incident took place on Monday (November 9) at the Fengdong New City Government Service Centre in Xi'an's Xixian New Area, where the excavator was used for an hour.

Several media reports suggest that the action was in response to an alleged dispute over unpaid villagers’ compensation. In response, police detained the 47-year-old suspect. During the procedures, no injuries were found, as all staff and members of the public were evacuated from the premises safely.

A video has also surfaced on social media showing the excavator demolishing the entrance and damaging the outer section of the government administrative services building in Fengdong New City, in China's northwestern Shaanxi province.

Dispute over unpaid compensation

The excavator rammed into Building 1, damaging the entrance steps, main signage, and glass doors, with at least six sections of the complex reportedly affected. According to a witness cited by local media, bystanders were too frightened to step in and stop the attack. By that afternoon, some service counters were already back up and running.

Al Jazeera reported that local media had tied the incident to a dispute over unpaid compensation owed to villagers whose homes had been torn down. That said, officials have not confirmed any motive, and investigators are still working to determine what caused the incident.

According to the SCMP, the government administrative building was back to normal operations within a few hours. Police have released little additional information about the suspect or what led up to the incident, and the alleged compensation dispute remains unconfirmed by authorities.