9 Mexican school children killed as SUV falls into canal

A sports utility vehicle fell into a canal in central Mexico, killing nine small children but leaving their teacher unharmed, a city official has said.

A sports utility vehicle fell into a canal in central Mexico, killing nine small children but leaving their teacher unharmed, a city official has said.

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The eight girls and one boy, ages 3 to 6, were heading to their teacher's house for lunch yesterday when the SUV they were traveling in fell into a canal outside the town of Cardenas in Guanajuato state, said Victor Hugo Rodriguez, security director for the municipality of Salamanca.

"We don't know why the vehicle fell into the canal," Rodriguez said by phone from the scene.

"Unfortunately the preschool children, eight girls and one boy, all died. They just recovered the bodies."

Rodriguez said the teacher was apparently unharmed.