School bus rams into pillar; driver dead, students injured

Police said that the bus, belonging to Loreto Convent School at Middleton Street, was on its way to Park Circus from Science City when it lost control and hit a pillar on Parama Flyover near burial ground.

According to preliminary investigation, police suspect that the vehicle was being driven at a high speed; the driver eventually lost control of the bus and collided with the pillar. The driver’s lower body got stuck inside the bus as a result of the collision. Police recovered his body and sent it to the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH), where he was declared brought dead.

The deceased driver has been identified as Biswanath Samanta (30). The helper of the vehicle is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. Around 11 students who received injuries at the time of accident were released from the hospital after primary treatment. Police officers from the Kareya police station rushed to the spot and later seized the bus, which was badly damaged in the accident. According to the police, there were around 31 girl students in the bus when the accident took place around 7.15 am.

Around 11 girls received minor injuries on their forehead and arms, because of the sudden jerk in the vehicle when rammed into the pillar. Police are also examining the CCTV footages to ascertain the reason of the accident.

They are also investigating whether the driver was driving the vehicle in an inebriated state. The reckless driving of a section of carpoolers and school bus drivers has been a major cause of concern for Kolkata Police. They have found that in many cases the drivers of the pooling cars, which usually ferry school-going children between their houses and schools, drive over the speed limit and flout the traffic norms. To check over-speeding of vehicles in the city, the Kolkata Police are planning to install speed controlling device on the buses and trucks.