Three children killed after bus lands in zoo

Seven people, including three children, were killed when their van plunged more than 50 feet into New York's Bronx Zoo.

Police said the van was travelling on the Bronx River Parkway – an overpass highway – yesterday when it smashed into a central railing and crossed four lanes of traffic.

All seven passengers were killed when the vehicle landed in a train yard used by the zoo to store its monorail trains.

Three of the victims were children, including girls aged 12 and 10, as well as another younger girl. The others were believed to be an 84-year-old man and three women, aged 80, 45 and 30.

Ruben Diaz Jr, Bronx borough president, said: "My prayers, as well as those of my office and all Bronxites, go out to the families of the seven victims."

In Tokyo, Japan, seven people died and 38 sustained sometimes critical injuries when a coach packed with holidaymakers bound for Tokyo Disneyland crashed into a barrier near the Fujioka in Gunma Prefecture early yesterday morning.

According to national Japanese broadcaster NHK, the driver has admitted to police that he fell asleep at the wheel.