At least 2 kids killed & 6 injured after bus crashes into nursery as cops arrest driver
TWO kids have been killed after a bus ploughed into a nursery.
Cops have arrested the driver on suspicion of homicide after the vehicle crashed into a daycare centre in Laval, Canada.
Panicked parents rushed to the scene as dozens of police and emergency vehicles lined the road.
Authorities say two children have been confirmed dead.
Another six kids were injured and have been taken to hospital.
The driver, 51, has been arrested on suspicion of homicide and reckless driving, police say.
He has worked for Societe de transport de Laval for ten years, Laval Mayor Stephane Boyer said.
The circumstances around the crash or a possible motive are not clear.
But Ms Boyer said: “There is a theory that it was an intentional act, but that remains to be confirmed by the investigation.”
Around 80 kids under the age of five attend the nursery, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
The ages of the youngster killed and hurt have not been confirmed, however.
Hamdi Benchaabane, who lives near the site, said he rushed to the scene following the crash at around 8.30am local time (1.30pm GMT).
He said he and three other parents managed to “subdue” the driver before police handcuffed him.
Mr Benchaabane added: “The first thing he did was take off all his clothes after opening the bus door.
“He was just yelling; there were no words coming out of his mouth.”
Mr Benchaabane said he was able to help pull one child from the daycare, adding that he and the others tried to save a second child before firefighters ordered them to leave because pieces of the roof were at risk of falling.
He added: “It was a nightmare, I can’t believe it, he said of what he witnessed. It was horrible.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well as Quebec Premier Francois Legault, expressed condolences to families after the incident.
He said: “No words can take away the pain and fear that parents, children, and workers are feeling – but we are here for you.”
Quebec’s Families Minister Suzanne Roy said: “Everyone is terribly saddened by what has occurred.
“When you leave your children at the daycare for the day, you know that they’re in good hands … when an event like that can happen, it shakes us and shatters us.”
Laval is about 30km northwest of Montreal in Quebec, Canada’s second most-populous province.