China: Bus ploughs into crowd near school, killing 11
A horrifying scene unfolded outside a junior high school in eastern China this morning when a bus ploughed into a crowd, leaving 11 dead and 24 injured. The tragic incident occurred at around 7am, today, September 3, in front of Foshan Junior High School in Dongping County, Shandong province, just as students and parents gathered for the second day of the new school year.
Among the victims, six were parents, and five were students, according to a statement from Dongping police. One person is reported to be severely injured, while 12 others remain in stable condition. The status of the remaining injured is currently unknown.
The ill-fated vehicle, intended to ferry students to and from school, reportedly lost control as it approached a crossroad, crashing into the unsuspecting crowd. The driver has been detained, and local police are investigating the cause of the incident. This tragedy comes at a time when China is emphasising campus security at the start of the new school year.
China Central Television (CCTV) reported that all the injured have been rushed to hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, the country’s state media, People’s Daily, highlighted on Sunday the introduction of measures aimed at easing parents’ concerns about child safety, such as the use of school buses, anti-crash road fences, and increased traffic police patrols.
The possibility of this being an intentional attack has not been ruled out, especially in light of several similar incidents this year. In June, a man attacked a school bus stop in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, killing one and injuring two.
Another incident in March saw a man in Dezhou, Shandong province, driving into a crowd outside a local junior school, resulting in two deaths and six severe injuries. Both perpetrators were apprehended by local police, reported Bangkok Post.
In related news, a tragic accident involving a tour bus and a van left one person dead and another permanently disabled. The victims’ families sought compensation but faced numerous challenges as the tour bus owner appeared to have transferred assets to evade legal repercussions.
