Ten South Korean kindergartners were killed in a traffic accident in China on Tuesday, after a bus they were in caught fire, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.



The accident took place at around 9 a.m. in Weihai, Shandong province, as the vehicle crashed into a garbage truck in front of them, catching fire while in a tunnel.



Twelve people aboard died, including a Chinese child and the Chinese bus driver, while a Chinese instructor was severely injured, the ministry said.



“We have dispatched eight officials from the consulate-general in Qingdao, including its chief, and are looking into further details of the accident,” the ministry said in a statement, noting that the Weihai police were carrying out DNA tests to identify the victims.



Yonhap News Agency reported that the high number of casualties could be attributed to the door of the bus that could not be opened, citing a tip. Video footage purportedly taken by an eyewitness shows the door side of the burning bus obstructed by the tunnel wall.





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