The head of a kindergarten in northwest China was detained after 18 children and two adults were killed in a school van crash, authorities said.
The overloaded van carrying preschoolers and the adults collided head-on with a coal truck Wednesday, killing 20 people and injuring 44 others in Qingyang city in northwestern China's Gansu province, the Xinhua news agency reported, quoting local authorities.
The nine-seat school van was carrying 64 people. Seats had been removed to make room for more passengers, investigators said. Parents said they have complained about overcrowding on the school bus for years.
Li Jungang, chairman of the Little Doctor Kindergarten was detained Wednesday because of liability issues, Xinhua reported. Fan Jungang, the driver of the coal truck, was detained for causing the accident. Xinhua said local officials that oversee the county's education and traffic departments also were suspended.
Source: UPI