18 school students injured as speeding truck hits bus

As many as 18 students of a private school in New Town were injured as the school bus they were travelling in overturned after being hit by a speeding truck at Akanksha More in New Town on Monday morning.

All the injured students were taken to a hospital where some of these students were released after primary treatment while many others were still undergoing treatment at the hospital with serious injuries.

The driver and the helper of the school bus also received injuries in the accident and were admitted to a hospital. The incident triggered tension in the locality. The driver of the truck and its helper fled from the spot after the accident. Police have seized the vehicle and are conducting raids to nab the duo.

Police said that the bus was carrying the students to their school around 7.30 am on Monday.

Local residents told the police the accident took place when the bus was taking a turn at Akanksha More. A loaded truck had lost control and hit the bus. As the bus was taking a turn it lost its balance and overturned.

Eyewitnesses said that the truck was coming at a high speed when the driver of the truck suddenly saw the bus. The truck driver applied the brakes but could not control the vehicle. As a result, the truck collided with the bus.

The residents of the area reached the spot of the accident and jumped to the rescue of the injured. The people had to break the windshield of the bus to remove the injured persons.

They managed to rescue many of the injured before the police reached the spot. The people involved in the rescue work confirmed that the truck had hit the bus from the side while the latter was taking a turn.

As a result, they could not open the gate of the bus and all 18 children were caught inside the vehicle. Four of the injured students were discharged from the hospital after primary treatment as their injuries were not serious in nature.  Police said that around eight students had received serious injuries in the accident.

The locals have alleged that police have been unable to take action against speeding trucks. 

They said that many loaded trucks are often driven at a high speed and there was no proper surveillance to crack down on the vehicles that flout the traffic rules.

As a result, accidents often take place in New Town area. The police need to more vigilant to check the over speeding of loaded trucks, said the local residents.

It may be mentioned that a few months ago a woman and her son who were travelling in a rickshaw died after being hit by a loaded truck in Rajarhat. Police have started a probe into this incident.