11-year-old Vihaan Srivastava died after a tree fell on his school bus in Chembur, Mumbai. After the accident, the mother is holding her son’s cricket bat and saying only – ‘He has to go play’, which made everyone emotional.
Mumbai: Such a painful news has come out from Chembur area of the metropolis, which has shocked not only the entire Mumbai but humanity. A smiling 11-year-old child, who till a few hours ago had cherished the dream of playing cricket for Team India, is no longer in this world. On Tuesday, a heavy tree suddenly fell on the school bus, taking the life of innocent Vihaan Srivastava. But even more painful than this accident is the scene that is being seen in Vihaan’s house several hours after the accident.
An ordinary afternoon…and suddenly the shadow of death loomed
Tuesday afternoon was like any other day for the children of Chembur’s ‘Universal School’. The school bell rang and the children, giggling, boarded their school bus. A total of 13 children were present in the bus, who were happy to return home. No one had any idea that death was waiting for them on the way. As the bus passed through a road in Chembur, suddenly a huge tree fell on the roof of the bus. There was a loud explosion and the entire area was shaken by the screams of innocent children.
Promptness saved many lives, but fate had other plans.
As soon as the tree fell, nearby pedestrians and the bus conductor took charge like angels without wasting any time. He immediately started pulling the children out of the debris. Of the 13 children on the bus, 12 were evacuated safely or with minor injuries. But, five children were seriously injured in this accident, who were taken to the nearby ‘Zen Multispeciality Hospital’ without any delay. As soon as he reached the hospital, doctors declared 11-year-old Vihaan Srivastava dead. According to hospital director Dr. Roy Patankar, the condition of the other four injured children is currently stable and they are undergoing treatment.
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A cricket bat told the story of mother’s broken heart
In the video that surfaced several hours after the accident, Vihaan’s mother Juhi Srivastava was seen holding her son’s cricket bat firmly. His eyes were fixed on the void and the people present around him were trying to control him. According to family and neighbours, Vihaan used to go out to play cricket every day after returning from school. Perhaps this is the reason why his mother is still not able to leave that bat. This scene is not only a mother’s grief, but also the story of an unfulfilled dream that came to a halt forever.
‘Vihaan is getting late…’ Mother’s stone eyes holding the bat
Vihaan was his mother Juhi’s complete world. Neighbor Raji Malhotra tells that Juhi loved her son so much that whenever he was out of the house, she would make video calls to him several times a day and inquire about his condition. Today the same mother is staring blankly in a corner with her son’s favorite cricket bat tightly clutched to her chest. Vihaan’s mother’s mental balance is completely shaken by this shock; She is not listening to anyone and is just repeating the same thing while crying – “He has to go to play, he is getting late, he must be coming soon…”
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“Aunty, I want to become a professional cricketer!”
Vihaan’s neighbors also have moist eyes. Raji Malhotra cried and told that Vihaan was a very promising, cultured and intelligent child. He often came to his son Dev to learn the intricacies of cricket. He always used to say, “Aunty, I want to play cricket professionally, please ask bhaiya to teach me more.” That dream of Vihaan now remains unfulfilled forever. As soon as information about the incident was received, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde reached the hospital. After meeting the victims’ families, she said very emotionally, “This is very sad. I came here not as an administrative officer, but as a mother. The condition of the parents is such that they are unable to say anything. 12 children are safe, but unfortunately we lost an innocent child.” This accident has once again raised big questions on the claims of the administration regarding monsoon and tree pruning.
Mother’s world is ruined, even the city is asking questions!
After the accident, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde also reached the hospital and met the victim’s family. Describing this incident as very sad, he said that the pain of a mother cannot be expressed in words. This accident not only took away the happiness of a family, but has also raised many serious questions in front of the city. Was there timely inspection of old and dangerous trees during the rainy season? Were the security arrangements on the school bus routes adequate? And the biggest question – could this accident have been prevented? At present, the answers to these questions will be revealed after investigation, but Vihaan Srivastava’s unfulfilled cricket dream, the bat in his mother’s hands and the broken wait to return home forever, will keep this incident alive in the hearts of people for a long time.