Photos shared on Chinese social media show students lying on the ground with their clothes stained with blood.
A school bus plowed into pedestrians in China on Tuesday for reasons that are still unknown, killing at least 11 people, including five students, state television reported. CCTVThe tragedy occurred at 7:27 a.m. (23:27 GMT Tuesday) at the entrance to a middle school in the town of Tai’an, located about 400 kilometers southeast of Beijing in Shandong province (east). “For the moment, (we count) 11 people deceased including six parents and five students”CCTV said, adding that one person is in critical condition.
Many schools in China are returning to school this week. Photos shared on Chinese social media show students lying on the ground with blood on their clothes. Adults are standing by, apparently providing first aid.AFP has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of these images.
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The school bus in the photos can carry a maximum of 52 people, a sign on a door says. The driver is being held by police and the cause of the incident is under investigation, according to Chinese state television. Fatal road accidents are common in China, due to lax road safety measures and failure to follow traffic rules. In July, a vehicle plowed into pedestrians in the central city of Changsha, killing eight people and injuring five others.
