SINGAPORE — A seven-year-old boy was taken to hospital on Monday (March 27) after he was knocked over by a school bus and dragged under the vehicle for about five metres, suffering multiple injuries.
The boy is believed to have alighted from the school bus and was crossing the road in front of it when the accident occurred, reported Chinese-language newspaper Shin Min Daily News on Thursday.
A police spokesman and the Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted to the accident in Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 at about 2pm on Monday.
The boy was conscious when taken to National University Hospital.
The driver of the minibus, a 57-year-old man, is assisting with investigations.
Mr Zhang Chengzhu, 67, a passer-by, told Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao that he saw the boy being dragged under the vehicle at the covered driveway next to Block 386, and shouted to get the driver's attention.
The boy, who was caught between the minibus' rear wheels, was dragged on the road for about five metres before the driver stopped, Mr Zhang said.
He added that the driver and a 40-year-old woman pulled the boy out from under the vehicle.
According to him, the boy's grandmother and five-year-old sister were near the scene of the accident, waiting to pick him up.
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A 65-year-old woman who wanted to be known only as Ms Bai said she was at a nearby coffee shop when she noticed a group of people frantically running towards the zebra crossing.
"I saw the grandmother sobbing and holding the boy. His head was covered in blood," she told Shin Min, adding that the boy was alert and able to answer questions.
Ms Bai also said she heard that the bus driver carried the boy to the pavement and had called the police.
On Thursday, the boy's father told Shin Min that his son's injuries were "more serious than expected" and he had not been discharged from the hospital.
The boy had multiple bruises all over his body, with possible fractures on his face. He was in a state of shock and was unwilling to talk about the accident, the father said.
"I have been in the emergency room for three days. I have not slept," said the father.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.