理事長「心よりおわび」　後部確認せず降車―女児死亡のこども園・静岡

　静岡県牧之原市の認定こども園「川崎幼稚園」に通う河本千奈ちゃん（３）が通園バスに約５時間取り残されて死亡した事件で、バスを運転していた同園の増田立義理事長（７３）らが７日、事件後初めて同園で記者会見した。増田理事長は「亡くなられた園児、ご遺族に心よりおわび申し上げる」と謝罪し、「後任が決まり次第、いち早く退任する」と述べた。
　増田理事長はバスを止めて自分が降車する際、「運転席から（園児が乗り降りする）ドアの方を確認したが、後ろの方は見えなかった」と述べた。同乗していた派遣職員の７０代女性は、「（理事長が）確認してくれるだろうと思っていた。任せきりにしていた」と話しているという。（2022/09/07-21:29）

The head of a "kodomoen," a kindergarten-nursery hybrid, in central Japan has offered an apology after a girl attending the school died of heatstroke earlier this week as a result of being left in the school's bus for about five hours.
   "I offer my sincere apology to the girl and her family," Tatsuyoshi Masuda, 73, who heads Kawasaki Kindergarten in the city of Makinohara, Shizuoka Prefecture, told a press conference held at the school Wednesday. He said he will resign soon after his successor is picked.
   According to the Shizuoka prefectural police department, the school bus carrying the girl, China Kawamoto, 3, and five other children arrived at Kawasaki Kindergarten around 8:50 a.m. Monday (11:50 p.m. Sunday GMT). A staff worker found the girl unconscious in the bus around 2:10 p.m. She was confirmed dead after being sent to a hospital. An autopsy found that she died of heatstroke.
   On that day, the bus was driven by Masuda, as its official driver in charge was absent on short notice and three extra drivers refused to stand in.
   Masuda said, "When I got off (after stopping the bus), I checked the area around the door from the driver's seat, but I couldn't see the back of the bus."