Smoke over China's Tiananmen Square.

At least five people were killed and over three dozen others injured here in Beijing on Monday.

It happened after a car reportedly ploughed into pedestrians, catching fire.

Chinese police say the car veered off the road at the north side of the square, crossing through protective barriers.

A foreign tourist who didn't want to be identified said she heard an explosion, followed by fire.

Three of the dead were inside the car. Two others were tourists.

The car crashed almost directly in front of the main entrance of the Forbidden City

That's where a huge portrait of the founder of Communist China, Mao Zedong, hangs.

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman was asked if the government believed this was a "terror attack".

"I need to learn the specifics of the situation. But if there are any foreign citizens involved in any kind of case, I think we will always manage it appropriately according to the regul