School Bus Crashes into Crowd in Eastern China, Killing 11
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A school bus lost control and crashed into a group of parents and students outside a middle school in eastern China, resulting in 11 deaths, state media reported on Tuesday.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that the incident occurred at 7:27 am local time (2327 GMT Monday) in Tai'an city, Shandong province, when the bus driver "lost control" of the vehicle as it approached the school.
The bus veered off the road and struck a group of parents and children, according to CCTV.
"As of now, the incident has caused the deaths of 11 people, of whom six were parents and five were students," the broadcaster stated in an update just after 11:30 am.
One individual was reported to be in "critical" condition, while the vital signs of another 12 people were described as "stable."
Photos and videos shared on social media depicted a harrowing scene, with individuals in blood-stained clothing lying on the road near a large grey bus.
Several adults were seen kneeling over children who appeared motionless, while distressing cries could be heard in the background.
"They're all dead, it's so heartbreaking," a woman's voice could be heard saying off-camera in one video capturing the aftermath of the crash.
"I'd have been killed too if I'd stood there, but luckily I ran away fast," she added.
AFP confirmed the location of several social media photos and videos to be the school in Shandong where the crash occurred.
The driver has been detained by local police, and the cause of the incident is currently "under investigation," according to CCTV.
Many public schools in China resumed classes for the new academic year this week.
