12-29-2010 08:35 BJT
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Any accident involving young children is especially heartbreaking for the families and the local community. 14 families are now asking tough questions of what went wrong, and what hindered the rescue.
They were only half a kilometer away from the classroom.
But for the 20 students, crammed into a three wheeled motorcycle truck, their fate was already sealed.
Song Chunhua, local villager, said, "I heard a very loud noise, and screaming. I looked back, and saw a three-wheeled vehicle plunge into the creek."
Shoes, bags, and other school supplies are scattered across the creek.
One local villager says he was the first to rush to the scene.
Yan Changjiu, said, "It's too cold. I can't swim. So I used tires to get there."
More villagers came, jumping into the freezing water to help rescue the students.
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| A three-wheeled motorcycle truck, taking 20 primary children to school, plunged into a creek on Monday morning, leaving 14 dead and 6 injured. |
Built for agricultural use, the vehicle was modified to hold people. Draped with tarp, an iron door was bolted at the vehicle's rear, trapping its passengers.
Wang Yuanjun said, "We couldn't open the door. It was completely blocked. So I ran to a clinic for knife and cut it open. People were busy pulling the kids out."
More than 70 medical staff were sent to the scene.
Rescued students were rushed to hospitals.
Five hours after the tragedy, the three-wheeled vehicle was finally lifted out of the creek.
Questions are now being raised, about how 20 children were crammed into such a tiny space everyday, as they travelled to school.
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