‘Villagers had stopped drunk driver…school staff knew’: Kin of students injured in Haryana bus accident

Singh’s granddaughters, Radhika and Bhumika, were among the 40 students of GRL School who were in the bus when it overturned near Kanina village, killing six students. Radhika, a Class 2 student, suffered multiple injuries on her head and was showing a GCS score – Glasgow Coma Scale is used to measure a person’s consciousness level after a head injury – of 11. “Doctors said patients with a score below seven will be comatose…Radhika has a score of 11 and we are holding on till evening to see what should be done,” he said.

Singh said they had initially searched for the two girls in hospitals in Kanina when they got a call from the school authorities that they were in Rewari. “We rushed to the hospital and found that Bhumika, 8, sustained an injury in her right hand while Radhika suffered serious injuries,” he said.

Confirming the incident, Inspector Ramnath, the station house officer (SHO) of Sadar Kanina, said that the bus driver almost hit another vehicle. “The driver of the vehicle stopped the bus and took the keys prompting the villagers to gather. They called the school authorities and informed them that the driver was drunk and driving rashly. Later, they gave the keys back and he drove away,” the officer said.

Like Singh, Mahesh Kumar ran helter-skelter after he was informed that the bus carrying his two children and nephew had overturned. “They left home at 8.30 am and around 9 am, my wife got a call regarding the accident. We rushed to the spot. My children are safe and admitted to a Rewari hospital but my nephew Ricky has passed away,” he told The Indian Express over the phone.

Kumar, an ex-serviceman, took his children to a private hospital and quickly left for Mahendragarh to take over the affairs as his brother Ravinder Singh mourned Ricky’s death. “The children were telling me the driver was speeding and they pleaded with him to slow down. He said they were late and drove negligently,” he added.

His children Pooja, a Class 11 student, and Piyush, a Class 9 student have sustained injuries on their head, hands, and ears. Ricky was a Class 8 student.

Harsh (15) who was on the bus said that he was sitting right behind the driver and escaped through the window when the bus overturned. “My sister was also on the bus, but I didn’t see her and think of her. I didn’t sustain serious injuries, so I was trying to help others. Students with head injuries and who had become unconscious were first rescued and later I also left for the hospital. I found that my sister sustained severe injuries after reaching the hospital,” he said. His sister Divya (12) has been shifted to a hospital in Rewari.

Harsh said that the driver was speeding and when they asked him to slow down, he said the school authorities would chide him. Harsh said that one of the deceased, Anshu, was his friend. “Anshu’s brother Yakshu was also killed in the accident. Their parents lost both their children,” he said.

Action will be taken against school management: Police

Mahendragarh Deputy Commissioner Monika Gupta said that the negligence of the driver and school management has come to their attention and police are investigating all aspects. “It was the responsibility of the management to check the driver’s background before hiring. Action will be taken against the driver, principal, and management of the school,” she said.

Gupta added that the treatment cost will be funded by the government. An FIR has been registered in the case.

An FIR has been registered in the case on the complaint of a twelfth-grade student against the bus driver, the school principal, and the school administration under IPC sections 109, 120B, 279, 336, 337, 304, and 185, as well as under the MV Act, at Kanina City police station.

She stated that Dharmendra was intoxicated. “Despite repeated warnings from the children, he continued to drive recklessly, endangering our lives. On our way, at Kheri Talwana, parents confiscated the keys from Dharmendra and informed the school. However, the school administration threatened them and they had to return the keys. Besides the driver, there was no helper or female staff on the bus, which is a violation of the instructions given by the school administration. Therefore, I urge you to take strict legal action against Dharmendra, the driver, as well as the school principal and administration for their negligence,” she said.

The police said of the 21 injured, 11 were taken to Rewari while a few others had to be referred to Rohtak PGI. The deceased students have been identified as Satyam Sharma of Class 12, Yuvaraj and Vansh of Class 9, Yakshu and Ricky of Class 8, and Anshu, who was a student of Class 10.