Nurpur, April 10: A private school bus fell into a 500-foot-deep gorge along the Nurpur-Chamba road in Himachal Pradesh on Monday afternoon, killing 24 children of Ram Singh Pathania Memorial School in Nurpur, all from junior classes.
Two schoolteachers and the bus driver, Madan Lal, 67, an ex-serviceman, were killed too, Kangra Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar said. A magisterial probe has been ordered.Thirteen children were grievously injured. Six were taken to a private hospital in Pathankot, four to Nurpur Civil Hospital and three to Tanda Medical College.
The driver lost control while saving a motorcyclist coming from the opposite side and the bus veered off the road, said sources, who pointed to the poor condition of the road. The National Disaster Management Authority and the local fire brigade reached the site two hours after the accident even as locals struggled to rescue the children trapped in the mangled remains of the bus. Many died on the spot.
Local BJP MLA Rakesh Pathania helped transport the injured to various hospitals. Food and Supplies Minister Kishan Kapoor too was at the site to supervise operations.
It was a resident of an adjoining Punjab village who reported the accident to Ramesh Pathania of Gurchal village. The latter raised the alarm, gathered local youths and launched rescue efforts. The parents of the deceased children were inconsolable. “The school was plying rickety buses to ferry children,” claimed a wailing Balwant Singh. The police tried to contact the school authorities, but to no avail.
Kangra SP Santosh Patial has reportedly ordered that the school records be sealed. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur will be visiting the injured in Nurpur and Pathankot hospitals on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the district administration has announced Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of the deceased. Governor Acharya Devvrat, CM Thakur and Union Minister JP Nadda have expressed anguish over the tragedy.
The Prime Minister Office (PMO) tweeted: “I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a bus accident in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. My prayers and solidarity with those who lost their near and dear ones in the accident: PM @narendramodi”.
The deceased include Sarika (6), Sneha (6), Harsh Pathania (12), Tarun Sharma, Saruti (12), Diksha (11), Ishitha (12), Yuvraj (10), Parmeesh Thakur (4), Kanna (4), Palak Jamwal, Bhvishaya Jamwal, Harsh Pathania, Gaurav Pathania, Mukul Kayshap, Kartik Katoch, Pranav, Naitik, Surushtika, Jahnavi, Shagun and Ritika. Three children are yet to be identified.
Source Tribune India
