Tragedy in Taian: School bus accident claims 11 lives

At least 11 people are dead after an accident that occurred on Tuesday in the city of Taian, China. A school bus drove into a crowd of students and parents standing in front of the school. Several others are injured.

After the school bus drove into a crowd of people on Tuesday in the city of Taian in Shandong province in eastern China, at least 11 people died, including five students and six parents, the BBC reported, citing state media.

The vehicle drove into students and parents standing before the school gate. Thirteen people were also injured, of whom one person is in critical condition, and twelve others are in stable condition.

Police said the accident occurred before 23:30 GMT. CBS News notes that Tuesday was the second day back to school for children across China after the holidays.

According to state media reports, the driver "lost control" of the vehicle and was detained after the incident. The police are investigating the causes and circumstances of the incident. The BBC points out that it is currently unknown whether the incident could have been intentional.

The portal also highlights that fatal road accidents are a common occurrence in China. In July this year, a vehicle hit a group of pedestrians in the city of Changsha, killing eight people and injuring several others.

In 2017, 12 people, including 11 preschoolers, died when a bus crashed and caught fire in a tunnel in the same province where the recent accident occurred. It is unclear whether the incident resulted from intentional action or dangerous driving.