The Chinese Foreign Ministry urged local authorities to handle the aftermath of a school bus accident that killed six Chinese and five Republic of Korea (ROK) schoolchildren, as well as the driver, on Tuesday.
The bus was carrying 11 kindergarten students and a teacher when the accident occurred inside the Taojiakuang Tunnel in Weihai, a city in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong, at around 9 a.m. local time.
Top Chinese officials are deeply concerned about the accident and have asked authorities to properly handle the aftermath, the ministry said in an online statement early on Wednesday morning.
Black smoke billowed out of the Taojiakuang Tunnel in Weihai after a school bus crashed on May 9, 2017. /CCTV Photo
Of the 11 children, who were aged between three and six, five were ROK nationals and six Chinese nationals. They were all students at an international kindergarten in Weihai, local officials told reporters late on Tuesday.
The driver was also killed in the accident, and all 12 deceased have been identified via DNA tests, Deputy Mayor of Weihai Ye Liyun said. The teacher survived the accident, but is undergoing intensive treatment.
An initial investigation suggests the accident was caused by a rear-end collision, the deputy mayor added.
A 13-member working group has been sent to handle the aftermath.
The ROK's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn expressed "grave sadness" over the deaths. He directed the country's foreign ministry to mobilize "all diplomatic resources" to handle the accident and keep the victims' families informed of any related developments.
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