5 children killed as car rams into school kids in China (Lead)

Beijing : At least five children were killed and 18 injured on Thursday as a car rammed into a group of school children who were crossing a road in China's Liaoning province.

The media reported that the accused has been identified as the son of a top Communist Party official. The accused has been arrested.

The incident occurred at around 2.30 p.m. in Jianchang county, Xinhua news agency said.

According to surveillance camera footage posted online by Global Times, the motorist was driving on the wrong side of the road when the vehicle hit the group of about 30 children, throwing some of them into the air. The video was later taken down.

An employee at the school said the students were crossing the road during a lunch break.