New Delhi: In a saddening incident reported from Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj, a 7-year-old girl fell from a rickety school bus and died of her injuries. The incident happened in Nagla Sadhu village of Kasganj district. The bus reportedly had a hole on its floor and this is what led to the accident.
Victim was kindergarten student
According to reports in Republic, the victim was identified as Ananya, who was a kindergarten student at Mount Dev Intermediate School in Aligarh district. The child was returning home in her school bus, along with 3 others, including her elder brother, when the incident happened.
According to the girl’s father, Ananya was sitting on a seat near the rear wheel of the bus, when its floorboard gave way and the child fell on the road. She sustained serious injuries in the accident.
The father alleged that other children sitting in the bus started shouting and tried to alert the driver about the accident. But the driver reportedly continued to drive for another 100 to 150 metres before paying attention to what they were saying and only then stopped the bus, added the child’s father. A taxi passing by, blocked the bus and alerted the driver about the situation, he said.
Family members said that instead of taking the child to a nearby hospital, the driver drove her to her home. This resulted in critical delay, they said. It was only after she reached home that she was taken to hospital. Doctors at the facility however declared the child dead.
Locals block road, protest against driver
Outraged locals and Ananya’s family members then blocked the Aligarh-Kasganj road. They protested against the school and driver’s negligence. During the protest, the bus was damaged and the driver was also beaten up. The police later took the driver into custody and seized the school bus.
An FIR was registered at the Gangiri police station against the school manager, Arvind Yadav and bus driver Chandra Prakash. They have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, said officials.
The school is located 55 km from Aligarh city and 20 km from Kasganj. The school has around 500 students and has classes up to intermediate level. The school bus in which the girl was travelling ferried around 28 students daily.