A speeding Haryana Roadways mini-bus, heading from Kalka to the hill areas of Pinjore, overturned near the Nolta village leading to 46 people getting injured, 42 of them being schoolchildren. The overloaded bus faced the accident at 7:15 AM on Monday, July 8, while it was negotiating a turn. The driver of the bus had left the spot after. He was later arrested the same day.
Overcrowded Bus Overturned While Navigating A Turn
Reportedly, the bus equipped only 40 seats but was still carrying around 70-80 passengers, much above its capacity. 46 of the total were children as they would take up the bus to travel to school every day. There were students from the Government Industrial Training Institute in Kalka, as well. Passengers informed that the route only has one bus, and so the bus is usually overcrowded. The Panchkula Police Commissioner Yash Goyal reported that the bus overturned while taking a turn and the victims have reported that the driver was also speeding. A police inquiry is still ongoing. A few other victims pointed to the poor conditions of the road, suggesting it was a reason for the accident.
46 Taken To Polyclinic While 22 Shifted To The Civil Hospital
Civil surgeon Dr. Mukta Kumar informed that the 46 injured individuals were taken to the polyclinic at Pinjore, and from there, 22 people, only four of whom were adults, were recommended to the Civil hospital in Sector 6, Panchkula. A woman passenger in her sixties was shifted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh. According to further reports, one another adult was shifted to the ICU after reported bleeding from the liver. A school girl has suspected suffered a compression fracture in the spine. However, the police clarified that all passengers were stable.
Driver And Conductor Suspended
The conductor of the bus Sandeep Kumar was also injured while the driver Yash Pal kept speeding and fled after the accident. Both have now been suspended. Officials at the Pinjore police station informed that they had traced the driver and then suspended him. They have registered a case under sections 125(a) and 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, translating as an act endangering the life and personal safety of others where the hurt is caused and rash driving or riding on a public way respectively. Punishment under section 125(a) includes imprisonment up to six months or a fine of up to Rs. 5000, and punishment under section 281 includes imprisonment up to six months and a fine of up to Rs. 1000 for both the driver and the conductor.