20 children injured as bus catches fire in Maharashtra

August 20, 2009 11:10 am | Updated 05:31 pm IST - MUMBAI:

Firemen trying to douse the flames after a bus carrying school children caught fire, at Panvel, in Raigad district of Maharashtra on Thursday morning. Photo: PTI

Firemen trying to douse the flames after a bus carrying school children caught fire, at Panvel, in Raigad district of Maharashtra on Thursday morning. Photo: PTI

Twenty school children were injured, one of them seriously, when their school bus caught fire at Navi Mumbai on Thursday morning. The incident happened around 0700 hours when the bus carrying about 40 children was on its way to CKT school in New Panvel after picking up the students, police said.

ACP, Navi Mumbai, V Chandanshive said the statement of one of the students has been recorded. "The boy told me there was smell of kerosene or petrol (in the bus). So we have already registered a case against the driver and owner and arrested them".

The exact reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained. Of the 20 injured, six children have been admitted to National Burns Centre in Airoli, two to Masina hospital in Byculla and few other children have been taken to Life Line hospital in Panvel and MGM hospital in Panvel among others.

"Of the two children admitted at Masina hospital, a 11-year-old boy has suffered 40 per cent burn injuries.

Another 11-year-old girl suffered 60 per cent burn injuries and is serious," a doctor from Masina hospital said.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.