9 killed as SUV rams into Bihar school

International Desk: At least nine schoolchildren of a government middle school in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district were crushed to death by a speeding SUV on Saturday when they were about to cross National Highway 77 after school.

Body parts and blood lay scattered across the busy road that connects Muzaffarpur to north Bihar, according to witnesses, who said some children were still lying on the highway.

“So far, we can confirm only nine deaths,” deputy police superintendent, Muzaffarpur East, Gaurav Pandey told HT, fearing that the toll could rise further as at least six children were critical.

“The injured children have been rushed to the Sri Krishna Memorial College and Hospital (SKMCH). Hospitals in Patna, around 80 kilometres from Muzaffarpur, have also been alerted and asked to be prepared for treatment of the critically injured children,” he said.

The driver of the Bolero SUV fled after abandoning the vehicle near the spot, Pandey added.

Police said the incident occurred around 1.30 pm when after school, the children were crossing the national highway. The Dharampur Government Middle School is located along the national highway.

“We saw a truck first hitting a woman on the national highway and trying to flee as people ran to her rescue. The Bolero coming from the opposite direction apprehending trouble from locals tried to avoid the injured woman on the road and crushed the children who had lined up to cross on the left plank,” said Mithilesh Yadav, a member of the district board and witness of the incident.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar announced Rs 4 lakh as ex gratia to each of the families of the deceased.

The SKMCH was chaotic as the children’s bodies piled up. Loud screams of parents who had lost their wards rented the air. Injured children were writhing in pain, hospital staff was running helter-skelter and scores of onlookers kept pouring in to find out what was going on.

Deputy inspector general of police (DIG), Muzaffarpur range, Anil Kumar Singh, who was headed to Patna for a crime meeting, returned to Muzaffarpur midway to supervise the rescue operations.

This is the second major accident in Bihar this month. Altogether 10 people were killed and 35 others injured in a road accident on the outskirts of Patna on February 19. The accident occurred when a private bus, carrying 50 persons of a marriage party, overturned on Patna-Gaya state highway near Kandap under limits of Gaurichak police station.

Source: Hindustan Times


risingbd/Dhaka/Feb 24, 2018/AI