Authorities in China's  southern city of Zhuhai removed tributes and candles for the dozens of victims of a car ramming attack on Monday, according to reports in news agencies.

A man drove his car into a crowd at a sports center, killing 35 people and injuring 43 others. It was the deadliest mass killing in China since 2014. 

It took authorities over a day to release details of the attack. An initial police statement said people had been injured but did not mention any deaths, and videos of the attack later appeared to be removed by online censors.

Attack site tributes cleared

Local residents began to order tributes to be dropped off by delivery drivers.

However, these were immediately removed by security personnel at the site, in some instances before the tribute could even be placed down, according to reporting from Reuters news agency. 

Outside the sports complex on Wednesday morning, AFP news agency reported residents and delivery drivers laying bouquets at a gate, but within minutes the flowers were carried behind a fence.

Cleaning staff told AFP they were acting on an "order from the top." 

What is known about the attack?

Details of the attack have trickled out with government taking a day to announce the death toll.

Chinese police have also offered little information about the 62-year-old attacker beyond saying the man — identified only by his surname of Fan — was upset about his  divorce settlement.

He was arrested immediately after the attack as he tried to flee the scene on Monday night.

State broadcaster CCTV did not mention the attack in its 30-minute midday news bulletin, leading instead with President Xi Jinping's departure for the APEC summit in Peru.

Other state media, such as China Daily's Chinese language website, also prominently displayed the news of Xi's Peru trip.

The current affairs part of the publication's website and the local area page did not mention the incident either.

kb/wmr (Reuters, AFP, AP)