The Chinese car-hailing giant Didi Chuxing has slammed the brakes on its relentless expansion after the murder of a female passenger raised major safety concerns at one of Asia’s biggest technology companies.

Didi, which is known as Beijing’s answer to Uber, has conquered cities in many emerging markets and chased its US rival out of China two years ago.

But it has become the target of national outrage after a 20-year-old woman using the app was raped and murdered in the eastern city of Wengzhou on Friday, the second death involving a female passenger in three months. The driver, who had previously been the subject of a sexual harassment complaint, has been arrested.

The attack has sparked a reckoning for Didi after years of breakneck growth that has seen it valued at more than $55bn (£42bn) and become a candidate for a stock market flotation next year.

On Tuesday, the company issued a repentant statement admitting to “an enormous amount of self-doubt, guilt and soul-searching”.