Boy killed as SUV hits school bus near Phagwara

Tuesday, 17/12/2013

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131217/punjab.htm#23

Phagwara : A schoolboy, Harish Kumar (12) of Jagatpur Jattan village, was killed and 21 students belonging to Bhanoki, Uchapind and Jagatpur Jattan villages were injured when their school bus (PB-08AK-4441) was hit by a speeding SUV (Tata Safari, PB-08-3752) in front of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Public School in Sarhali village on the Phagwara-Nakodar road at 8.20 am this morning.

The accident reportedly occurred owing to poor visibility. The injured students were admitted to City Hospital, Narula Hospital and the Civil Hospital here. Most of them were discharged by noon. Ambulance 108 and police vehicles from Jandiala Manjki were at the accident site in no time. But senior police officers reached two hours after the accident.

Bus driver Jaswant Singh was crossing the main road when the Phagwara-bound Tata Safari hit the bus from the rear, overturning the bus. The Safari driver, Sanbir Singh of Sarhali, sustained injuries and was admitted to Johal Hospital, Rama Mandi. The driver of the school bus panicked after the accident and fled. The bus was carrying 22 students. School director RS Chahal said the school management had provided an insurance cover to its students and staff.

The police has registered a case against the Safari driver.

There was disbelief and grief at Jagatpur Jattan village as it received the news of Harish Kumar's death. Harish's mother Kamaljit Kaur, grandmother Swarna, sister Sukirandeep and brother Inderjit were in a state of shock. Harish had left for school this morning after three days as he was suffering from fever. Hem Raj, the boy's father, has been in the UAE for the past 15 years. He has been informed about the tragedy.

Injured students

* Dilpreet (Class II), Aneesh (Class II), Anmolpreet Kaur (Class III), Diljeet (Class IV), Jasraj (Class VI), Simran (Class VI), Harpreet (Class VI), Gurtegbeer (Class VI), Gurmukh Singh (Class VIII), Harpreet Singh (Class VIII), Sukhveer Singh (Class IX) (all from Jagatpur Jattan village); Jaskaran (Class II), Simranjit (Class III), Sukhmanpreet (Class III), Ajay Deep (Class IV), Dilpreet Singh (Class VI), Tajinder Singh (Class VIII), Manpreet Kaur (Class IX), Harpreet (Class X), Harpreet Kaur (Class XII) (all from Uchapind) and Arjun Singh Class VI from Bhanoki village