www.beta.co.yu

Beta News Agency, Belgrade
May 23, 2004

Bus convoy transporting children from Strpce attacked

STRPCE - A bus convoy transporting 160 Serb children from Nis (central Serbia) to Strpce was attacked Sunday evening near Pristina. No one was hurt, Serb sources in Kosovo reported.

As a result of the stoning several windows on one of the three buses were broken but none of the schoolchildren were harmed.

The 160 Serb elementary school pupils from several villages near Strpce spent several days on a field trip to Nis. The field trip ended prematurely on Sunday following the death of Igor Madza (born 1990) from the village of Jazince on Mt. Brezovica, a seventh grade student at Sarski Odred Elementary School.

Nis police reported that on Sunday night at about 10:40 p.m. a youth struck Igor Madza, who as a result lost his balance, fell from the rampart and died on the scene from sustained injuries.

According to the police report, a group of youths had attacked several boys from the Strpce area, who were visiting Nis for several days on a field trip.

"The state police in Nis has identified all the persons involved in the incident and apprehended and initiated criminal proceedings before the investigative judge of the Nis District Court," the report states.

Igor Madza arrived in Nis on Friday with 160 of his peers from Strpce and the Strpce area. The children from Kosovo and Metohija, who visited Nis after the Nis Klasik Theatre made a guest appearance in Strpce, were lodged with their peers. After last night's accident, the nine day field trip in Nis was cancelled.

-----

B92 version:

Buses attacked in Kosovo | 11:15 May 24 | Beta

NIS, STRPCE -- Monday - A convoy of buses full of students returning from Nis to Strpce was attacked near Pristina, but no one was injured.

According to reports given to Beta by Serbian sources, windows were broken on three of the vehicles but none of the students suffered any injuries.

160 Serbian children were on their way home from a field trip to Nis, which ended prematurely because one of the children, Igor Madza, died last night in Nis after being hit by a young man and falling to his death off a rampart.

Police say that several other students were attacked by a group of youths, who the police have identified, and that an investigation is pending.