Tragedy hit Bhadohi when due to alleged negligence of the driver, a bus carrying 22 children to school was crushed by a speeding train at an unmanned railway crossing killing eight of the students on Monday morning. The injured were shifted to district hospital from where half a dozen were referred to Varanasi after their condition was found to be `critical’.
The driver was reportedly put a head-phone and listening to music when the incident occurred. Agitated with the incident, the local residents also torched the van and sat on dharna at tracks blocking rail traffic movement for few hours before the administration managed to clear it.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who forwarded his condolences to the victim’s family members, had also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to each those killed in the mishap. He also directed the officials to ensure best treatment to the injured so their life could be saved. Railway officials also ordered a three member inquiry into the incident. Union Railway minister Prabhu also announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of those killed, Rs 1 lakh for those seriously injured and Rs 20,000 for those with simple injuries.
Reports said that a Tata Magic of Tender Heart school in Ghosiya township was carrying students of six villages in the age group of six to 14 years, when the van was hit by Varanasi-Allahabad passenger train at gate number 26 between Katka and Madhosingh Railway stations, on Monday morning. A gate-mitra deployed at the cross also reportedly tried to stop the driver but he failed to listen him as he had put head-phone and listening music on his mobile. The mini-bus was thrown up in the air due to the impact of the crash and landed in an agriculture field. According to the ‘Gate Mitra’, he tried to show a red flag to the driver to warn him of the approaching train.
The children, who survived the mishap, also said that they tried to draw the driver’s attention but he was in a hurry to cross the crossing. The children and the driver who were injured have been admitted to different hospitals. Those suffering serious injuries have been referred to BHU hospital in Varanasi,
police said adding that senior administration and police officials were on the spot.
Superintendent of Police Arvind Bhushan Pandey said that an FIR will be lodged against the school management. Eight of the deceased have been identified as Naitik (6), Abhishek (10), Arpit(6), Pradumn Tewari (14), Shweta Misra
(10), Sakshi (7) Karan (10) and Rinku (8). It may be mentioned that Railways has deployed more than 4000 ‘Gate Mitra’ or gate counsellors at unmanned level crossings, identified as vulnerable, to strengthen passenger safety and prevent accidents. There are a total of 4,188 Gate Mitras deployed across the country. DRM NER in Varanasi, SK Kashyap claimed that there are still about 3000 unmanned crossings in his jurisdiction to which they were trying to remove and hope the exercise will be complete in three to four years.
Meawhile a report from Ballia confirmed that a woman and her minor daughter were
charred to death when a fire broke out in their house in Cheruiya village. Anita Devi, 30, and her two-year-old daughter Rita were sleeping in the house when the incident occurred on late Sunday night. The fire was triggered by a earthen lamp. The two were rushed to a nearby hospital where they succumbed to injuries on Monday morning. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and further investigations are on in the matter.