A school bus transporting 36 fifth-graders and four adults rolled over on a Kansas turnpike, and 17 students were injured. They were conveyed to the hospital for treatment on Wednesday morning.
The bus was on its way from Park Elementary in Wichita to Topeka on a field trip, according to Wichita Public Schools spokesperson Susan Arensman, as reported by KAKE-TV.
Apparently, the bus got into a slide and toppled over into a ditch about 15 miles south of Emporia in Lyon County, near mile marker 112 on the turnpike at 9:40 a.m. the Emporia Gazette reported.
Probably snowy weather conditions played a role, but it is uncertain what exactly caused the accident, and the matter is still under investigation, Kansas Highway Patrol Lieutenant Dave Hundley told the Weather Channel, which, in turn, briefed the gazette about the situation.
Lyon County Sheriff’s Office issued a Facebook post about the incident, stating:
“The Sheriff’s Office is still assisting @kshighwaypatrol @kansasturnpike with this rollover bus accident at mile marker 112 on the turnpike. This was in Chase County,” it said.
“Other units that responded included Butler County EMS, LifaSave EMS, Emporia Fire and EMS, USD 253, Williams Automotive, CrossWinds Counseling, Lyon County Emergency Communications,” the statement read.
The adults, two teachers, the bus driver, and a chaperone were uninjured. Seventeen children were treated for minor injuries to Newman Regional Health in Emporia, Arensman said.
The parents of the children involved were informed, and the unharmed students were transported back to Wichita.
School Bus Crashes in Germany Kill 2 Children, Hurt 14
A school bus crashed in central Germany early Thursday, killing two children and leaving five others seriously injured.
Officials said the bus carrying 22 elementary school children, aged eight to 11, slid off an icy, cobblestone road, crashed into a ditch, and flipped over several times near the village of Berka in Thuringia state. The village is 160 miles (260 km) southwest of Berlin.
Emergency staff took all the children to surrounding hospitals, including those who were only slightly injured. The bus driver was also injured.
“When two children die, the world stops turning for a moment,” district administrator Reinhard Krebs said.
Dozens of firefighters, police officers, doctors, and psychologists were at the scene to help with the rescue operations, officials said.
Thuringia Interior Minister Georg Maier told reporters that the crash had left the small village of Berka in “shock.” He said the affected school would be open on Friday, but that psychologists would be there to help the children and teachers cope with the loss.
Associated Press contributed to this report
