Jubail, Feb 27: At least six school children were killed and more than 10 sustained severe injuries when a luxury sports utility vehicle rammed into a school bus on the Road No 1, in Jubail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
Officials said that sixteen boys and girls were on board the school bus belonging to Jubail International School, 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 has two separate divisions, a boys section and girls section on the same campus.
Comments
This is one of d dangerous highway in jubail. U can find accident almost 3-4 days of the week. Even though derz no radar on dis way. Most of young saudis involve in such kind of reckless driving bcoz of a very poor traffic rule (which is not followed at all). Here the traffic rules r made only for expropriates dat too for those who r non arabs.
Still v can avoid minor or major accidents by implementing very strict traffic rules for all d drivers.
All of us pray to get recover soon and give peace to the parents of all the childrens who is occupied in bus.
Saudi arabia must bring strict rules on drivers & arrange all the vehicles speed not above 120-130 only on main highways and 80-100 on local high like the accident are regularly occuring.
I was made to understand that the bus was ride by 27 children aged from 6 years old up to 12 years old where 8 of them died and many were reported severely injured.
I wish Saudi government could come out with more effective recommendation to prevent the recurrence of this tragic incident once and for all..
At the same time I pray to Allah to give strenght to all the involved family to face this difficult and hard time.
Another ludicrous thing - dead bodies cannot be taken to homes of those parents from the hospital. Imagine what mothers are going through!!!
Traffic rules have to be made more strict in Saudi . only when they near the check points, the rash drivers slow down. even those who pass ahead give signals to those who follow them so that they can take precaution.This has to be changed.innocent ones suffer not the ones who violate the rules.
May Allah give parents and relatives courage to bear the loss. Amen!
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