- Saturday, May 18, 2024
Twelve injured children were shifted to a local hospital. Police were investigating the cause of the incident even as it was alleged that the driver was under the influence of alcohol.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE Eid-Al-Fitr holiday on Thursday (11) turned shocking for families of six children in India who died after the school bus in which they were travelling met with accident. The principal of the school to which the bus belonged was arrested along with two other persons.
The tragic incident happened in Narnaul in Mahendragarh district of the northern state of Haryana in the morning.
The bus, which belonged to the local GL Public School, lost control and overturned. A senior police officer said the driver of the vehicle was under the influence of alcohol. He was taken into custody along with the school’s secretary. The driver allegedly jumped out of the bus before it overturned.
Read: Indian software engineer killed in US road accident on birthday; 5-year-old daughter dead too
The vehicle had 40 children on board and was going to the school, which was functioning despite a holiday being announced.
Many children were also injured and according to local authorities, they were receiving treatment at a local hospital. Fourteen of them were later released but conditions of three were critical, it was learnt.
Read: Former Intel India head Avtar Saini killed in Mumbai accident
Local people rushed to the rescue of the children after the accident. Questions were asked as to why the school was kept open on the day of Eid.
The government has ordered a probe into the incident following the registration of a first information report (FIR), Haryana’s transport minister Aseem Goel said.
Instructions have been given to senior officials that a committee be formed to conduct a detailed probe covering various aspects. The committee will comprise higher officials of the state government, Goel told reporters. He said the bus involved in the accident was fined recently as it did not have certain documents and the fact that it was still being used was a clear lapse on the part of the school authorities.
Directions have been given to the district transport officer concerned that a FIR be registered against the school, the minister said. He added that if the probe reveals a lapse on the part of the motor vehicles inspector of the area — that he failed to take action even though the bus did not have valid documents — action will be taken against him as well.
