11 dead in kindergarten bus accident

Rescuers try to get a minivan out of water by using a crane in Changsha, Hunan province, July 11, 2014. All 11 people, including eight kindergarten children, died after the minivan fell into a pond Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]

CHANGSHA - All 11 people, including eight kindergarten children, died after a minivan fell into a pond Thursday in central China's Hunan province, rescuers confirmed early on Friday.

The accident occurred at about 5 p.m. Thursday Beijing Time in a mountainous village near Changsha, capital of Hunan. The bus was carrying the children home from their kindergarten in the city of Xiangtan, adjacent to Changsha.

There were eight children, two teachers and a driver aboard when the accident happened, according to local authorities.

After hours of rescue work, the minivan was hauled out of the pond at around 3 a.m. Friday with eight children and a driver inside. The bodies of the two teachers were found about an hour later.

The accident was not immediately discovered as the scene was somewhat remote and sparsely populated.

The minivan, which has only seven seats, was soon carried away by rescuers after they pulled it out of water.

"It was commonplace for the kindergarten vehicle to overload," the father of a children aboard told Xinhua.

Investigation into the case and other follow-up work are currently underway.