Parents claim death bus overloaded
By Xu Chi |
December 15, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Parents of the victims of a school bus crash are questioning official statements that the vehicle was not overloaded when it overturned and crashed into a ditch in Fengxian County in the eastern city of Xuzhou on Monday.
Fifteen pupils were killed and eight injured in the accident.
The bus had a capacity of 52 but there were just 29 people on board at the time, officials in Xuzhou said earlier. However, that figure was revised to at least 41 students yesterday.
According to the bus driver, Hong Xu, there were 47 on board. However, the figure could only be confirmed as 41 with the evidence currently available, the Fengxian County police bureau said.
The 41 included the 23 students sent to hospital, 15 of whom died, and 18 others recorded by a nearby camera leaving the scene, authorities said.
Parents and survivors claimed there were at least 60 people on the bus at the time of the crash.
Li Kailong, 12, said there were about 70 pupils onboard when it picked them up from an elementary school.
He told the People's Daily website that only two pupils had got off before the accident.
Zhang Yunhe, one of the villagers who rushed to rescue children from the freezing water, told the website he saw at least 60 children in the wreckage.
Some parents told the website the bus had an actual capacity of 30.
Li told the Beijing News that the school bus was crowded "as usual" on Monday and five students had to share two seats.
Another survivor, Song Yu, 10, said the bus was so crammed each seat was shared by at least two pupils, and many had to stand.
Song said his school had warned them not to speak to the media, but his grandfather insisted they "should not tell lies."
Others recalled that when the bus fell into the ditch, dirty water flooded in and many tried desperately to climb out, trampling on the bodies of those trapped underneath.
Qu Lixiang, 7, said the bus was running fast when it overturned, and water flew into his nose.
"Some pupils stepped on my back to climb out of the bus, but finally a Grade Five pupil pulled me out of the water," Qu said.
Zhang Xiangyu, 11, said: "Water filled my eyes. All I heard was the bus honking and children screaming."
Local officials said some of the 15 who died had drowned or suffocated after being trapped.
As of last night, there were still eight students receiving medical care. Five are in a stable condition and another three are critical.
Fifteen pupils were killed and eight injured in the accident.
The bus had a capacity of 52 but there were just 29 people on board at the time, officials in Xuzhou said earlier. However, that figure was revised to at least 41 students yesterday.
According to the bus driver, Hong Xu, there were 47 on board. However, the figure could only be confirmed as 41 with the evidence currently available, the Fengxian County police bureau said.
The 41 included the 23 students sent to hospital, 15 of whom died, and 18 others recorded by a nearby camera leaving the scene, authorities said.
Parents and survivors claimed there were at least 60 people on the bus at the time of the crash.
Li Kailong, 12, said there were about 70 pupils onboard when it picked them up from an elementary school.
He told the People's Daily website that only two pupils had got off before the accident.
Zhang Yunhe, one of the villagers who rushed to rescue children from the freezing water, told the website he saw at least 60 children in the wreckage.
Some parents told the website the bus had an actual capacity of 30.
Li told the Beijing News that the school bus was crowded "as usual" on Monday and five students had to share two seats.
Another survivor, Song Yu, 10, said the bus was so crammed each seat was shared by at least two pupils, and many had to stand.
Song said his school had warned them not to speak to the media, but his grandfather insisted they "should not tell lies."
Others recalled that when the bus fell into the ditch, dirty water flooded in and many tried desperately to climb out, trampling on the bodies of those trapped underneath.
Qu Lixiang, 7, said the bus was running fast when it overturned, and water flew into his nose.
"Some pupils stepped on my back to climb out of the bus, but finally a Grade Five pupil pulled me out of the water," Qu said.
Zhang Xiangyu, 11, said: "Water filled my eyes. All I heard was the bus honking and children screaming."
Local officials said some of the 15 who died had drowned or suffocated after being trapped.
As of last night, there were still eight students receiving medical care. Five are in a stable condition and another three are critical.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
