6 schoolchildren die in Jubail road mishap

Jubai, KSA - Six Jubail International primary schoolchildren were killed yesterday and 10 injured in a traffic accident on the Road No. 1 in Jubail. Sixteen boys and girls were on board the school bus when it was struck by a speeding and lane-jumping Toyota Land Cruiser. The Land Cruiser jumped its lane and veered to the right, then crossed into the school bus’ lane. The Land Cruiser struck the bus on the left rear corner, slicing through the body and killing the six children instantly. The collision also partially collapsed the roof of the bus. Others were seriously injured, according to eyewitnesses at the scene. Police officials said that the bus driver, a Sri Lankan, survived the crash uninjured and immediately called school administrators, who rushed to the scene. The number of injured students, both boys and girls, were not immediately available. At the scene, one boy with a head injury was placed on the ground and had his head wrapped in a scarf to serve as a makeshift bandage until medical crews could aid him. Traffic police and other security personnel rushed to the scene within minutes. Jubail Traffic Department Director Col. Saud Al-Otaibi and senior officers of the Red Crescent, Civil Defense and the Royal Commission took charge and directed the emergency and rescue efforts. The injured were taken in ambulances to the Royal Commission Hospital and Al-Mana Hospital. Onlookers that gathered at the scene severely hampered rescue efforts, traffic officials said. Parents and relatives of the victims, who rushed to the scene after hearing about the accident, were crying hysterically. Jubail International School is part of the Al Hussan International School system and caters to well-to-do expatriate families. It opened in September 1999. It has two separate divisions, a boys section and girls section on the same campus. source: AN