Society

Three die as van runs into students

By Zhao Yinan and Yan Jie (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-03 07:22

Another 21 injured in early-morning accident close to suburban school

BEIJING - Two students and an adult were killed on Thursday when a small van loaded with vegetables ran into a crowd of people on the outskirts of the capital.

Jiang Sai, a 13-year-old student, lies in a hospital in Beijing's Pinggu district after he was injured on Thursday when a van ran into a group of students, killing three people and injuring 21. Zhang Wei / China Daily

Another 21 people, 20 of whom were students heading for class, were injured and at least two of them are in critical condition.

The students were walking to school at around 6:40 am on Thursday along a road in Machangying township in the Pinggu district of eastern Beijing when the van allegedly driven by Liang Gui-shan, a 46-year-old vegetable vendor, veered toward them from behind, according to Zhao Zhigang, deputy director of the district's education committee.

"I heard a bang and then saw a lot of people lying on the ground," said Li Zilin, 65, who works at a nearby factory.

There was a deep dent on the left front of the van after the accident, said Li, who described seeing a man on the ground bleeding profusely from a head wound.

"It was terrible."

Liang, from nearby Chengde city, in North China's Hebei province, was heading for a market in the district after having picked up a load of vegetables when he lost control of the van, according to local police.

Shards of glass from the van's windshield were scattered around the site of the accident.

Wang Xiaoyong, assistant to the head of the Pinggu District People's Hospital, confirmed that two students died in the accident and said the two in critical condition were not out of danger as of Thursday evening.

The children were from the local Machangying Central Primary School, which has a student population of more than 200.

The school is about 100 meters from the site of the accident.

Classes were continuing as normal on Thursday, according to the district's information office.

"They were on their way to the school and were being accompanied by two local residents," Zhao said.

In rural areas around the capital, families who live far from schools often pay guides to escort students to school and provide them with breakfasts and lunches.

One of the two escorts, Wang Deguo, 31, was killed in the accident, said Wang Xiaoyong.

Wang Deguo had been taking children to school since 2008 and providing breakfasts and dinners each day for about 30 students, said neighbors.