A school bus crash west of Toronto has claimed the life of a 10-year-old boy, who died late Wednesday night, hospital officials confirmed Thursday.

Hospital officials said they waited until morning to release news of John Pham's death out of respect for the family's privacy.

John Pham died after the school bus he was on collided with a tractor-trailer on Highway 410.

Pham was among 27 Grade 4 students from St. Alfred Catholic School in Mississauga, Ont., and four adults aboard a bus en route to a field trip Wednesday morning when it collided with a tractor-trailer on Highway 410 in Brampton and veered into a grassy median.

Thirteen other students were injured, including a 10-year-old girl who suffered a broken leg and remains at Sick Kids hospital in Toronto. Two other students are still in hospital with unspecified injuries.

Special prayer services were held throughout the day at the Catholic elementary school, where news of Pham's death was broken to staff and students around noon Thursday.

"As a Catholic community, we really lean heavily on our faith at this time. That's one of the greatest comforts that we have," said Bruce Campbell, a spokesman for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.

'Very funny' guy, friends say

A tragic events team, composed of teachers and grief counsellors, were available to students on Thursday to help them cope with the emotional impact of the crash, Campbell said.

Counsellors met with students individually, if required, and in small groups to explain what happened and help the kids "air out their feelings," he said.

Karol Swaitowiac, who is turning 10 in several days, described his friend as a "very funny" guy.

Swaitowiac was sitting at the back of the bus near Pham when the accident happened, but suffered only minor injuries.

"There was some big bumps so everybody jumped up. Some hit the window, some hit the floor. I landed on the seat so I wasn't hurt that much," said Swaitowiac.

Swaitowiac's mom held her son close after leaving a school prayer service.

"I'm really sorry for the parents of this child. It's hard to say, you can't say anything," Regina said.

No seatbelts safer in buses: McGuinty

The crash has revived debate on whether school buses should be outfitted with seatbelts, as legally required in other vehicles.

Even after hearing news of Pham's death, Premier Dalton McGuinty said there's still no proof seatbelts would protect children.

"We want to do what's best for our kids. We want to keep them safe," McGuinty said. "The overwhelming consensus is that it’s safer for our kids not to be bound by seatbelts."

Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield said she has asked her federal counterpart whether there have been new findings regarding the safety of seatbelts on buses.

The federal government is responsible for setting school bus standards, she said.

School buses are designed differently from passenger vehicles, using other safety features to protect children, such as padded seats to absorb impact and a high, close seating arrangement to keep children from being thrown around during a collision.

Studies have shown that with the current design of school buses, seatbelts could increase the chance of head and neck injuries, according to Ontario's Ministry of Transportation website.

Children carried by school buses vary in size, height and weight, meaning seatbelts would have to be readjusted and monitored because they can cause serious injuries if worn incorrectly.