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West Bank crash: 'Eight' Palestinian children killed | West Bank crash: 'Eight' Palestinian children killed |
(40 minutes later) | |
At least eight Palestinian children have been killed in a collision between a school bus and an Israeli truck on a road in the West Bank, police say. | At least eight Palestinian children have been killed in a collision between a school bus and an Israeli truck on a road in the West Bank, police say. |
The bus was carrying children as young as five or six on their way to Ramallah, just north of Jerusalem. | |
The vehicle overturned on impact and burst into flames. More than 30 children were injured, and there are fears the death toll may rise. | |
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has declared three days of mourning. | Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has declared three days of mourning. |
The bus is believed to have been carrying up to 50 children at the time of the crash, on a busy road junction. | |
The children were apparently travelling from their school in the West Bank village of Anata. | |
The two vehicles collided head-on, reports say. Israeli and Palestinian paramedics ferried the casualties to hospitals in Ramallah and Jerusalem. | |
Hospital officials in Ramallah said many of the bodies they had seen were badly burned, AFP news agency reported. | |
The BBC's Jon Donnison in Jerusalem said the road conditions in the area were "pretty treacherous" following heavy rain overnight. | |
He said it was one of the most serious road accidents involving Palestinians in a long time. | |
The truck driver was also hurt in the crash although the full extent of his condition is unknown. | |
Our correspondent says although the truck had an Israeli licence plate, it did not necessarily mean the driver was Israeli. |