Eleven dead after pupils and parents collide with a school bus in eastern China

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Eleven people were killed in eastern China's Shandong province on Tuesday when a school bus went out of control at a busy pedestrian crossing, broadcaster CCTV reported. Disturbing footage showed bodies lying on the road and trapped under the vehicle.

Six parents and five children were killed in the incident, one is still in critical condition. More than two dozen were injured, CCTV reported.

Dongping police said in a statement on WeChat that a vehicle carrying students lost control at an intersection in Dongping county, Shandong, on Tuesday morning. The accident is currently under investigation, it said.

In July, a car drove into pedestrians in Hunan province, killing eight people. In May, a bus carrying 45 passengers, including 39 students, collided with a truck in Jiangsu province. The accident was partly due to negligence.

Fatal traffic accidents are common in China due to inadequate enforcement of traffic regulations and a lack of safety awareness.

China's People's Daily newspaper reported on Sunday that China is pushing for measures at primary and secondary schools across the country to ensure the safety of students and schools, including preventing security risks on school premises and ensuring safe use of school buses and traffic controls.

(Reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)