Nine students injured as school bus topples

Nine primary school students sustained minor injuries when a private school bus, dropping students back home from school, toppled near Jakkur on Thursday afternoon.

The school bus carrying 14 students from primary classes left the school premises at noon after the school closed for the day. Sources say that the school usually closed at 4:30 p.m. However, the school had a farewell program arranged for the outgoing batch of class 10 students on Thursday afternoon and the primary classes were let off.

The school bus driver Vijayendra, 28, lost control over the vehicle as he was manoeuvring a steep curve on the Jakkur Main Road. The bus toppled to its right. The accident occurred around 12:20 p.m.

Nearby residents and people soon gathered around and rescued the children. Samuel, an employee of a coffee shop nearby, told

The Hindu that they broke some window panes next to the door and opened the latch. “Two people climbed over the bus and lifted up children from the bus,” he said. An ambulance was rushed to the spot and all the children soon rushed to a nearby private hospital, in Byatrayanapura.

A doctor from the Sai North Side Hospital said that they received nine young children who had sustained minor injuries in the accident. “Most of them had suffered minor injuries on their arms and limbs. Only two kids Advaitha, 6 and Niharika, 8, have sustained head injuries,” she said.

The two children are presently being treated at Columbia Asia Hospital, Hebbal. Santosh Kumar, Advaitha’s father said that the young boy had suffered a head injury which had been stitched. “One of his eyelids is crushed. He has to undergo a minor surgery. I hope he gets out of it well,” he said. Advaitha is a class one student. Another student being treated at the hospital, Niharika is a class three student. Sources say that she has suffered a head injury. Her father Mithun said that the girl was stable now but refused to further comment on the issue.

School van guidelines

Yelahanka Traffic police have detained the school bus driver Vijayendra and are further probing the case. A case has been registered against him. A senior official said that it was clear that the bus driver was over-speeding which caused the accident. He said the school bus also did not have an attendant as prescribed by the school van guidelines. “We will probe into whether all school van guidelines were implemented. If not, we will recommend for cancellation of the permit,” he said.