While the driver was arrested, the injured students were admitted to a hospital. The bus helper, Hindu Das, was admitted to the ICU unit of a hospital in a critical condition.
Police said that the bus, carrying 30 students of Sri Shikshayatan School’s primary section, was travelling at a high speed when it struck the road divider.
“Upon hitting the median, the driver lost control of the bus which then fell over on its side. The police had to extricate the trapped students one by one from the bus,” said DC (Headquarters) Vineet Goyal.
While two of the injured girls — Shalini Mitra and Nandini Jaiswal— suffered minor head injuries apart from cuts and bruises, Deepa Poddar suffered a fractured hip.
“We’re not sure if the mishap was due to a steering problem. That can only be established after a mechanical check of the bus,” Goyal added. Eyewitnesses, however, claimed that before the police arrived, the locals had already rescued the children and admitted them to a hospital.