Two Sydney school children die after car crashes into classroom

Two boys aged eight years were killed in an unfortunate accident on Tuesday (7 November) morning when a car crashed into their classroom in Sydney's Greenacre. A 52-year-old woman was driving the car and police believe the crash was not intentional.

Both the children were rushed to Westmead Children's Hospital in a critical condition, where they were pronounced dead. Three girls were also taken to the hospital, a NSW Ambulance spokesperson said, adding that two of them aged eight were in a stable condition. However, the condition of another nine-year-old is serious.

The incident reportedly occurred at Banksia Road Public School in Sydney, Australia at 9.45am local time (10.45pm UK time the previous day) when the woman's Toyota Kluger hit the demountable classroom, police said. There were more than 20 students and a female teacher in the classroom at the time of the crash.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith told local media that they have launched an investigation into the incident. "We're not looking this as an intentional act. It is a crash investigation," he said.

Eyewitnesses reportedly told police that the woman appeared to have lost control while driving out of the school. She could have applied the accelerator while intending to brake, one eyewitness suggested.

"We're working with forensic services group, we're methodically working through the circumstances of this crash," Smith said and added that the woman driver was "cooperating with blood and urine testing and the processes that accompany that investigation".

Earlier, NSW Ambulance Superintendent Stephanie Radnidge told reporters that ambulance officers arrived to "a scene of carnage" on Tuesday morning. "[There were] a number of distressed and overwhelmed children and teachers at a scene of a horrible accident.

"Obviously they were crying, they were distressed, some were asking for their parents, that's a natural response in such a terrible set of circumstances."