FOUR PERSONS, including three school kids, two of them siblings, were killed and around a dozen seriously injured when a bus of Cambridge International School, Dasuya, collided head on with a Mahindra Bolero pick-up vehicle loaded with potatoes. It is learnt that the bus was travelling at normal speed when the Bolero, coming from the opposite direction, collided with it. The deceased children included seven-year-old twins Surabhi and Anirudh (class one students), Tanish (11), a Class VI student, and driver Ranjit Singh. Around 12 seriously injured children are at various hospitals.
Sharing his heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved families, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh prayed to the Almighty to give them courage to bear the huge loss and directed the civil and police administration to extend all possible help and support to ensure best possible treatment to the injured, free of cost.
State Education Minister Aruna Chaudhary has sought a complete report regarding the matter from District Education Officer, Hoshiarpur.
The accident took place around 7:40 am when the school bus, carrying 36 children, from five to 16 years of age, was going to Dasuya on Hajipur road from villages around Talwara. Some children fell out of the vehicle while the remaining inside the bus on each other, said eyewitnesses.
An eyewitness said he rushed to the vehicle after hearing the bang. “The bus was damaged badly and the children were screaming for help. I tried to pull them out through the windows and later, they were rushed to hospital by villagers on scooters, tractor-trolleys, cars, etc.,” he added.
While a few children were sent to civil hospitals, many were sent to private hospitals. Panic spread as the news of the accident spread like a wild fire in the area a anxious parents rushed to the spot, school and hospital. Police are investigating the case.
A case under Section 304 IPC was registered against the unidentified person as the police were yet to identify the Bolero driver, said Lomesh Sharma, Station House Officer of Hajipur police station.
The injured included Shivam Thakur, Shivangi Takur, Palak Sharma, Navya, Aradhya, Sanjna, Nishant, Jaintika, Vardaan (all students), two attendents Priya Goswami and Rakesh Kumar.
Fearing her kids were dead, woman dies of shock
After getting the news, one Pooja Sharam, in her 30s, of Khatikarh village near Hajipur, died of shock. Pooja’s children were also studying in the same school. When she came to know about the accident, she fell unconscious and did not gain consciousness again. She was declared dead at the hospital. Ironically, Pooja’s children were on the other school bus. Incidentally, Friday was Pooja’s birthday.
Very bad news