Four, including three students and the bus driver, died on Friday when their school bus collided with a speeding pick-up vehicle on Hajipur-Dasuya road in Hoshiarpur district.
The accident took place around 8 am near Singhpur village when the school bus of Dasuya’s Gems Cambridge International School collided with the pick-up vehicle loaded with potatoes. Reportedly, the speeding pick-up vehicle lost control and hit the school bus. The impact of the collision was so severe that one side of the bus was totally damaged.
The deceased children were identified as Anirudh and Surbhi (twins) and Kanishkand. The driver has been identified as Ranjit Singh.
Besides those killed, nearly 15 others including the bus attendant, sustained serious injuries. The condition of five — Shivan Thakur, Shivangi Thakur, Akash Kumar, Palak Sharma, and Priya, the attendant in the bus — are said to be critical.
Out of the injured, four have been referred to Hoshiarpur’s Shivam Hospital, while nine have been admitted at the Civil Hospital.
Expressing shock and anguish, the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh directed the civil and police administration to ensure best and free treatment to 15 school children injured in the mishap “free of cost”.
Sharing his heartfelt sympathies with the members of the bereaved families, Capt Amarinder prayed to the Almighty to give them courage to bear huge loss in this hour of crisis and grant peace to the departed souls.
Deeply condoling the tragic incident, Punjab Education Minister Aruna Chaudhary on Friday sought a complete report regarding the matter from Hoshiarpur District Education Officer (DEO).
Chaudhary said that she would also direct all the DEOs to issue instructions to the school managements of the institutions in their respective districts to ensure the safe plying of buses carrying school children and abide by the traffic rules besides controlling speed. “I am deeply saddened with the news” she said while assuring the parents that the Punjab Government stands firmly with them in this hour of extreme grief. She also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured students. The Minister further elaborated that the Health Minister Brahm Mohindra has decided to provide free treatment to those injured in the mishap.
She also divulged that the instructions have been given concerning providing every possible help to the victim families at the administrative level.