Last night, a car plunged into a middle school in Kunming City, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province. Six students, five of them girls, were knocked down by the car, the municipal government revealed at a press conference this morning.

A witness said at around 10:00 PM yesterday, a white car drove into Kunming No. 1 Middle School, knocking down a student returning from a night class, and moving on to knock down another five students. Cries and yells could be heard at the scene. The six students were immediately sent to Yunnan Red Cross Hospital by ambulance. Three of the victims sustained serious head and chest injuries.

(photos by Yunnan Daily)

Shortly after the accident, officials from the municipal government arrived at the school. Students in the school have calmed down and the school has returned to normal, according to the press conference.

The driver Chen Zhengwei, 48 years old and an employee of the school, was in a coma and sent to the hospital.

The police are investigating the cause of the accident, but a witness said the driver was diagnosed with cancer not long ago, and that may explain why he drove so madly.

(photos by Yunnan Daily)

(China.org.cn by Zhang Yunxing September 10, 2007)