11 Killed, 13 Injured in bus crash at school gate in China's Shandong province

Beijing: At least 11 persons were killed and 13 injured when a bus rammed into a crowd of students at the gate of a middle school in east China's Shandong province on Tuesday, police said.

A rental bus hired for transporting students "lost control" and crashed into pedestrians in Tai'an city around 7.30 a.m., the police said.

Among 13 injured, at least one person remains in critical condition while others are stable, the police said.

The bus driver has been detained and an investigation has been initiated into the cause of the accident, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

It is not clear if the incident is an accident or an intentional attack on children.

Attacks on kindergarten schools by “disgruntled elements” are common in China.

In June, a man launched an attack at a school bus stop in Jiangsu province, killing one person and injuring two others.

In March, a man in Dezhou city of Shandong province drove into a crowd outside a local junior school, killing two pedestrians and severely injuring six people.