Coronavirus riots erupt near Wuhan as locals leave quarantine only to be told they can’t travel anywhere else in China
ANGRY mobs rioted near coronavirus-ravaged city Wuhan after leaving quarantine and being told they couldn't travel elsewhere in China.
Shocking footage showed crowds attack cops and overturn police vehicles on a bridge linking Wuhan - the capital of Hubei Province - and neighbouring Jiangxi after the province's Covid-19 lockdown was relaxed.
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The group hurled themselves at ranks of officers blocking the bridge across the Yangtze River with some using the cops' riot shields as makeshift weapons.
One man was seen kicking in a police car's window during the violence.
People are said to have chanted “Let’s go, Hubei!” as they tried to storm police lines.
According to local media, the clashes were sparked when authorities blocked entry to Jiangxi for people from Hubei.
This week, Chinese authorities lifted the lockdown of areas of the province outside Wuhan.
MOB ATTACKS COPS
Hubei province opened its borders ending restrictions on outbound traffic as it recorded no new cases of the killer bug on Wednesday.
In Wuhan, the first epicentre of the crisis, 117 bus routes began operating this week – around 30 per cent of its capacity – while the lockdown on the city's outbound traffic will be lifted on April 8.
But there is now widespread hostility in China towards people from Hubei, the province where the coronavirus crisis is believed to have started.
Migrant workers from Hubei have tried to move to other parts of China, but have been barred from entering Beijing, it is reported.
The official death toll for Wuhan issued by the Chinese government is just 2,535 people from 50,006 coronavirus infections.
There have been 3,174 confirmed coronavirus deaths in Hubei.
But questions have been raised over whether China has accurately reported its coronavirus death toll.
This week, Chinese authorities reportedly shipped thousands of urns to a funeral home in Wuhan.
About 2,500 urns to hold cremation ashes were delivered on Wednesday and Thursday, while another photo is said to show 3,500 urns stacked up inside.
The state-owned People’s Daily newspaper called Friday's violence near Wuhan “regrettable.”
It said: “The people of Hubei have made great efforts and significant contributions to winning the battle against the epidemic.
"People from all sectors of society have also been calling for the acceptance of Hubei’s migrant workers.
"However, it’s undeniable that some individuals of some regions have intentionally or unintentionally discriminated against Hubei people, set up obstacles for them to return to work."