Following the tragic death of six children and twenty others sustaining injuries as their school bus overturned in Haryana's Mahendragarh on Thursday, a four-member government-appointed panel has been set up to probe the school bus crash. So far, the police have taken three people into custody including the school's principal while a show-cause notice has been issued to the private school as well to explain why was it open on Eid.
As per reports, the Haryana Education Department has called for a meeting to discuss the vehicle safety policy at 3 pm today. Reportedly, the meeting will be attended by all District Education Officers, Elementary Education Officers, and Block Education Officers of the state via video conferencing.
About the accident
On Thursday, the fatal accident took place near Haryana's Unhani village in Kanina, when the bus belonging to the GL Public School, collided with a tree and overturned, police said. The bus reportedly was carrying around forty students from primary to secondary classes.
What did the police say?
After preliminary investigation, police alleged that the driver, identified as Dharmender, was drunk and driving recklessly when he lost control of the vehicle.
According to Kanina DSP Mohinder Singh, "The driver of the bus was driving at a high speed due to which the vehicle overturned. We are investing why the school was open on a holiday (on the occasion of Eid). We will get the medical done of the driver to ascertain whether he was drunk. Strict action will be taken against those responsible for the accident."
The incident has also raised serious questions about the safety standards of school transportation. According to the police, the school bus lacked essential documentation and had previously been fined for non-compliance.
