School bus plunges into drain, 7 dead

Jaswinder Singh Baidwan

Akhran da mureed
Staff member
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Seven schoolchildren of MKD DAV Public School in Attari’s Neshta village were drowned and more than 15 injured when their school bus fell into a drain near the India-Pakistan border here this afternoon. The bus was carrying 30-35 children.
Eyewitnesses said the speeding bus hit a boundary wall while crossing a bridge and fell into the drain.
Senior student Karanbir (16) claimed he broke open the door of the bus and rescued several children. The bus driver, Nikku, also saved several children. Intimidated by the crowds at the accident site, he later fled.
A group of MGNREGA workers saw the bus plunge into the drain. They raised an alarm following which some youths of Mahawa village gathered at the site to lend a helping hand.
The injured children were rushed to private hospitals in Attari and Amritsar. Five of them were declared 'brought dead'. Six are undergoing treatment. Some were discharged after first-aid.
The deceased, aged between 7 and 12, were identified as Sehajpreet Singh, Anshpreet Kaur, Jaspreet Kaur, all residents of Tibbi Mahawa, Gurnampreet Kaur, Yuvraj Singh, Sejajdeep Kaur and Robin Singh of Mahawa village.
Balkar Singh, a resident of Jathaul village, said his children, Jobanjit Singh (16) and Sehajpal Kaur (14), were among those being treated at the Chheharta hospital. He said two more children, Abhijot Singh (7) and Gurnoor Singh (5), were also admitted there.
Villagers claimed the bridge over the drain was narrow and had a broken railing. They claimed they had approached local MLAs and parliamentarians on the issue but to no avail.
Deputy Commissioner Varun Roojam said a case had been registered against the bus driver, conductor and school management.
 
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