School bus crash in China kills 11, injures several more

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 before the school. Several others were 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, reported BBC, citing state media.

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

The accident is said to have occurred before 7:30 AM local time, according to police. Tuesday was the second day back to school after the holidays for children across China, noted CBS News.

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. BBC pointed out that it is currently unknown whether the incident could have been intentional.

Fatal road accidents are a common occurrence in China, the portal highlighted. In July of 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 current accident occurred. It is unclear whether that incident resulted from intentional action or dangerous driving.