A tragic incident unfolded in Tai’an city, Shandong province, eastern China, on Tuesday morning when a school bus veered off course and crashed into a crowd outside a middle school, resulting in the deaths of 11 people, including both parents and students, according to state media reports.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that the driver lost control of the vehicle around 7:27 a.m. as it neared the school. The bus plowed into a group of parents and children waiting on the roadside.
The accident resulted in the death of six parents and five students, with one additional person in critical condition and 12 others reported to be stable.
Photos and videos circulating on social media depicted a grim scene, with blood-soaked individuals lying on the road near the grey bus. Some images showed adults kneeling over children who were unmoving, accompanied by sounds of distress and panic.
One witness, heard in a video clip, expressed the severity of the situation, saying, “They’re all dead, it’s so heartbreaking. I’d have been killed too if I’d stood there, but luckily I ran away fast.”
The local police have detained the driver, and an investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing. The accident occurred as many public schools in China were reopening for the new academic year.
Traffic accidents are a common issue in China, often attributed to lax safety standards and chaotic driving practices.
In July, a similar incident in Changsha resulted in eight deaths and five injuries, with an investigation still underway to determine whether that crash was deliberate.
