

REPORTING FROM BEIJING -- Authorities in a northwestern China have arrested the head of a kindergarten on accusations of operating an overloaded school van that was involved in a head-on collision with a truck. The accident killed at least 19 children.

The crash took place Wednesday morning when the van’s driver allegedly drove on the wrong side of the road in foggy weather.

The collision killed the driver instantly; a teacher on board died later at a hospital, and all surviving 43 children were injured. The children were between 3 and 5 years old and attended the Little Doctor Kindergarten in the city of Qingyang in Gansu province.

According to state media, Li Jungang, the private kindergarten’s owner, had torn out the seats of the nine-person van so that the children had to stand or bring their own stools. At the time of the accident, 62 children and two adults were riding in the van.