5 students injured after WBTC bus collides with school bus

Kolkata: A West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) bus collided with a school bus under Kankurgachi rail bridge on Wednesday morning injuring five students less than 13 years of age. All of them were rushed to ESI Hospital near the HUDCO crossing where the doctors treated and discharged them.

According to police sources, an empty WBTC bus that was being used for Gangasagar pilgrims was headed towards Maniktala from Kankurgachi. At the same time, a school bus full of students of a private English-medium school in the Ruby Park area was also headed towards Kankurgachi. Under Kankurgachi rail bridge, the WBTC bus hit the right portion of the school bus as a result of which five students fell inside the bus and got injured.

On-duty traffic police personnel rushed to the spot and evacuated the students. With assistance from locals, police rushed the injured students to ESI hospital.

Meanwhile, the school authority was informed and another bus was arranged. After a while, the other school bus arrived and picked up the other students and dropped them at school. They were all taken for a check-up to a local hospital but none was found to be injured.

Later, police seized both the buses and detained the drivers. Both the buses were removed to Phoolbagan police station. A case against the offending WBTC bus driver was initiated on charges of rash driving or riding on a public way (279 IPC) and causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others (338 IPC).