An 11-year-old student died and four others were injured when a tree fell on a school bus in Mumbai’s Chembur. Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar has expressed grief over the incident. After the accident, the government has assured an investigation, while the opposition has raised questions on the government’s preparedness.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [भारत]June 30 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sunetra Pawar on Tuesday expressed grief over the death of an 11-year-old student after a roadside tree fell on a school bus in Mumbai’s Chembur area. He described the incident as “heartbreaking and soul-shattering.”
In a post shared on Twitter, Pawar paid “heartfelt tribute” to the deceased child and wished speedy recovery to the injured students. She said, “The incident of a tree falling on a school bus during heavy rains in Chembur, killing a young student, is extremely heart-wrenching and soul-stirring. I offer my heartfelt tributes to the little boy who lost his life in this accident. I express my condolences to his family. Speedy recovery of the injured students is my prayer.”
11 year old student died in accident
Earlier in the day, a roadside Peepal tree uprooted and fell on a school bus carrying Universal High School students near Heritage Pride on Road No. 11 in Chembur, killing an 11-year-old student and injuring four others. According to BMC’s Mumbai Fire Brigade, the incident was reported around 2:58 pm. The bus conductor and local residents rescued all the 12 children traveling in the bus. Five students, including seriously injured Vihaan Srivastava (11), were admitted to Zen Hospital, where doctors declared him dead at 4:23 pm. The condition of the remaining four injured students is said to be stable.
Leaders expressed grief, assured investigation
Responding to the incident, Maharashtra Minister of State Meghna Sakore Bordikar said that the exact cause of the incident will be found out after a detailed investigation. He said, “We must find out the cause of the incident. It could be a natural phenomenon as a tree fell on its own… Only a proper investigation will let us know who the culprit is, but we will take steps to ensure that such an incident does not happen again.” He added, “This is a major incident because if children are vulnerable or injured like this, it will be investigated and measures will be taken to ensure it does not happen again.”
BJP MLC Prasad Lad also assured that strict action will be taken if any negligence is found during the investigation. Lad said, “If any child has died, it is very sad. BMC will be ordered to investigate. I will speak to the Mayor of Mumbai. We will gather detailed information. Action will be taken against the culprits. All efforts will be made to provide best medical treatment to the seriously injured children.” He said discussions would be held with “Mumbai City Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde and Mumbai Suburban Guardian Minister Ashish Shelar” to find out the cause of the incident and ensure strict action against those responsible.
Additionally, Mumbai Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi described the incident as “heartbreaking” and said that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would initiate action against those found responsible. He said, “A few hours ago, an old tree fell on a private school bus on Road No. 11 in Chembur area, injuring ten people. An eleven-year-old boy has reportedly died, while other children have been taken to nearby hospitals. This is truly a heart-wrenching incident; the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will take action against those found responsible.”
Congress targets Mahayuti government
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Nana Patole accused the BJP-led coalition government of inadequate pre-monsoon preparations. Patole alleged, “In Mumbai, you have to do pre-monsoon preparations. But it was not done. Mumbai got submerged in the first rain itself. Similarly, what has happened today is because of the sins of the BJP-Mahayuti government. The government does not care about all this… they just want power and loot.”
Other political statements
Separately, commenting on Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Sachin Ahir joining the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Patole said, “I think he has developed this mentality of breaking democracy. We don’t want to discuss what kind of work the Mahayuti is doing.” His comments came after Ahir joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and filed his nomination for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
On the alleged detention of Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai, Patole alleged, “A straw in a thief’s beard. Modi and Yogi, BJP and RSS have looted the Ram temple, and they are doing it to hide their sins.” Patole’s comments came after Ajay Rai alleged that he and other Congress leaders were forcibly detained by the police late on Monday night to prevent them from visiting Ram Temple amid the political controversy over alleged embezzlement of temple donations. (ANI)
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