Driver Barrels Through School Children Outside Elementary School In China

Taipei, Taiwan — Numerous children were injured by a vehicle outside an elementary school in central China's Hunan province on Tuesday, reports said. Hours after the incident, the casualty count was unclear and authorities had yet to clarify if it was an accident or a deliberate attack. The incident follows a series of recent killings or attacks in China by people in vehicles or wielding knives, including others at schools.

Students were arriving for classes around 8 a.m. at Yong'an Elementary School in the city of Changde when a small white SUV drove into a crowd of children and adults, according to state media. Few details were released, reflecting China's reflexive inclination to suppress news about crime, protests and major accidents that could erode public confidence in the ruling Communist Party's self-declared ability to maintain social order.

Several adults were also injured, the official Xinhua News Agency said, adding that the driver was subdued by parents and security guards and some of the injured were immediately sent to the hospital.