At least six children lost their lives and 15 others sustained injuries as a school bus from GL Public School in Mahendragarh, Haryana, overturned on Thursday. The accident occurred as the bus attempted to overtake a vehicle in Unhani village. A preliminary investigation suggests that the driver was intoxicated, and one of the injured students reported that the driver was speeding at 120 kmph. The tragic incident has raised concerns about the safety of school buses and the responsibilities of the school authorities and transportation officials.
The driver’s alleged intoxication and the bus’s expired fitness certificate from 2018 have led to questions about the negligence and oversight in ensuring the safety of school transportation. Furthermore, the decision to operate the school on a public holiday, Eid, has also been scrutinized, as it contributed to the presence of children on the bus that day. This raises questions about the accountability of the school administration and calls for a reevaluation of the protocols regarding school schedules and student transportation on public holidays.
Haryanas education minister, Seema Trikha, has taken immediate action by departing for Mahendragarh, indicating the seriousness with which the government is addressing this tragic event. The authorities are conducting medical examinations on the bus driver to determine if he was indeed under the influence, while also examining the documents of the bus and contacting the school authorities to establish their responsibility in this incident.
This devastating accident has brought the spotlight on the need for strict enforcement of road safety regulations, especially concerning school buses, and the importance of ensuring the physical and mental well-being of students during their commute to school. The tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the critical responsibility of all parties involved in ensuring the safety and security of students, and the need to instate comprehensive measures to prevent such heart-wrenching incidents from occurring in the future.
