Six children were killed and around 20 injured as their school bus crashed into a tree in Haryana’s Mahendragarh on Thursday, with police saying they have arrested three people including the principal and the driver, who was allegedly drunk and driving rashly.
State Education Minister Seema Trikha, who visited the injured students at hospitals, said a showcause notice has been issued to the private school to explain why it was open on Thursday despite it being a holiday on account of Eid.
“I want to tell the whole state that today school should not be opened. A show cause notice has been issued and apart from that, we have taken self-affidavits from the private schools. Second, they have to provide an affidavit of the transportation vehicle saying that their vehicles functioned according to the transport rules and norms. Third, whoever is driving their vehicles, if they are found drunk, then they (schools) will hold the responsibility,” Trikha said.
President Droupadi Murmu said the death of schoolchildren was heart-rending. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was extremely painful.
The incident occurred near Unhani village in Kanina around 8.30 am when the bus was carrying around 40 children — from primary to secondary classes — to the G L Public School.
Dharmender was driving rashly due to which he lost control of the bus, which rammed into a tree and overturned, police said, citing reports. ”Six children have died in the incident and around 20 are injured,” Mahendragarh Superintendent of Police Arsh Verma told PTI over the phone.
Police said the driver was caught from the accident site and his medical examination confirmed he was under the influence of alcohol. Police have also arrested school principal Deepti and one more school official whose name is Hoshiar Singh.
Transport Minister Aseem Goel said the state government has ordered a probe into the incident following the registration of an FIR. He also directed officials to check the fitness of all school buses.
He said the bus 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.
Police said the school was functioning on a holiday in violation of rules.
Besides, the school authorities had been informed about the bus driver’s drinking habits. Some parents brought it to the school’s notice even on Thursday that Dharmender was under the influence of alcohol, officials said.
They said an assistant secretary in the office of district-transport-cum-secretary, Mahendragarh, was also suspended after it came to light that the bus lacked certain documentation.
The Additional Transport Commissioner (Road Safety) has been directed to conduct a detailed inquiry into the reasons for the accident and find out those responsible, said the officials.
The education department has also decided to hold a meeting so as to ensure that ‘Surakshit School Vahan Policy’ for safe transportation of the children is enforced strictly.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)
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