Bus packed with picnickers falls in pit; cleaner dies; 24 kids hurt

Ahmedabad: One person was killed and 24 school students were injured when an overcrowded bus returning from a picnic in Madhya Pradesh met with an accident Tuesday morning in Gujarat's Panchmahal district, said police.

The private luxury bus, hired by an Ahmedabad-based school for picnic, fell into a roadside pit after the driver lost control over the vehicle at Parvadi village near Godhra, around 130km from here, said Police Sub-Inspector M V Jotana.

According to an FIR lodged at the Godhra taluka police station, the bus was hired by the Vivekanand Hindi Higher Secondary School, situated in the Narol area of Ahmedabad.

The mishap took place when the bus, packed with 107 passengers, including schoolchildren and teachers, was returning to Ahmedabad from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, where they had gone for a picnic.

While the cleaner of the bus, Balram Bhadoria, died in the accident, its driver fled the spot, said Panchmahal District Superintendent of Police Leena Patil.

"The bus slipped into a roadside pit after the driver lost control over the vehicle. While 24 students received minor injuries, the cleaner died as he jumped from the moving bus to save his life," said Patil.

The injured students were shifted to the Godhra Civil Hospital for treatment, she said. Primary investigations by the police revealed negligence on part of the school management as the bus was carrying 107 passengers, way beyond its capacity, said Patil.