Hyderabad, July 14: Nearly 20 students had a miraculous escape after the school bus in which they were travelling veered off the road and turned turtle near Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) at Patancheru on Monday morning. The bus toppled into a roadside ditch after the driver lost control over the vehicle while overtaking an auto, the police said.
The injured children and their parents alleged that the bus was driven by the cleaner and not the driver, that too in a rash and negligent manner. Police, however, said they are yet to verify the credentials of the cleaner and whether the bus had the mandatory permission to ferry schoolchildren.
The bus was badly damaged as it flipped thrice before landing in the ditch and its roof collapsed under the impact.
Three children were admitted to nearby hospitals with fractures and bleeding injuries while the others were treated as out-patients.
According to the police, the mini bus involved in the accident belongs to the Triveni Talent School at Ashok Nagar in Ramachandrapuram in the neighbouring Medak district. “The bus driver picked up 20 children from Shankarpally and other adjoining places and was proceeding to the school at around 7.30 am. After crossing the BDL Bhanoor police station, the bus driver lost control over the vehicle while overtaking an auto,” Patancheru police inspector A Vishwa Prasad said.
The bus skidded off the road and turned turtle. “The bus was tossed into the air thrice and the upper portion gave away as it came crashing down. Some children were thrown out of the bus from the windows,” the police said.
All the injured children were rushed to nearby private hospitals. The children are students of Class VI to IX.
“The bus was being driven by our cleaner and he was driving the vehicle in a rash manner. He tried to overtake an auto and lost control over the steering wheel,” one child said.
“The driver (Saber) earlier used to work as a cleaner but since the start of this academic year, he has been driving the vehicle. We did not complain as he was fairly okay,” the parent of an injured student said.
“Saber earlier used to work as a cleaner aboard one of the school buses. The school management is claiming that he recently secured a licence to drive a vehicle and we will verify the claims,” Vishwa Prasad said adding that Saber is yet to be nabbed.
Cases have been registered against Saber under Sections 337 (causing hurt by endangering human life) and 338 (causing grievous hurt).
The inspector said cases would also be registered against the school management, if it is found that Saber was driving the vehicle without a licence. The road fitness of the vehicle would also be checked
–Agencies–