Car ploughs into young children in Japan, killing two

As it veers onto the pavement after colliding with another larger vehicle that was turning at a junction

TOKYO: A car ploughed into a group of kindergarten children in western Japan's Shiga region on Wednesday, killing two toddlers and injuring others, police said.

Police said the car veered onto the pavement after making "contact" with another larger vehicle that was turning at a junction in Otsu City.

The accident killed a girl and a boy, both two years old, a police spokesperson told AFP.



"The (smaller) car rammed into a group of 13 nursery school children and three teachers who were walking on the pavement," the police said in a statement.

A police spokesperson said some of the rest of the group suffered injuries but could not give further details.

The children and their teachers were on the pavement near a crossing when the small vehicle crashed into them. Japanese nursery schools regularly take children to the local park for playtime or out on short excursions during the day.



Footage on local media in the aftermath of the accident showed one car had veered up off the road and onto the pavement. A second car that appeared to have been damaged in a crash could be seen still on the road.

Police said they had arrested the drivers of both cars - a 52-year-old woman and a 62-year-old woman.