2 families lost 4 kids in Bihar tragedy

MUZAFFARPUR: Four children of two families are among nine students killed in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur on Saturday when an SUV ploughed through a group of minors crossing a highway to reach their school.

At least six other students were admitted to hospital in critical condition, said officials who visited the accident site in Dharmapur village, about 70 kms from state capital Patna. The driver of the vehicle, a Mahindra Bolero, was absconding.

The school and the village were separated by the National Highway 77 and every morning and afternoon, the children from Dharmapur cross the busy road to reach their destinations.

Neither the parents — most of them daily wage labourers or marginal farmers — nor teachers of the school paid any attention to the risk to the children, officials said.

Abdul Wahid, a daily wage labourer, lost two daughters, Shahjahan Khatoon, 11, and Sharia Khatoon, 8. Mohammad Ishaq also lost two children—son Salman, 10 and daughter Heena, 8.

Wahid was inconsolable at the hospital after identifying his daughters’ bodies.

“Shahjahan was very good in studies. I had pinned high hopes on her. I wanted to send her to a better private school but had no resources,” said the man, who now has three children.

Parents assembled at the hospital said since they have to leave home for work early, it is not possible for them to see off their children to school safely.

“The government should reply why they have built schools along national highways...” said a parent, whose son was injured.

Ishaq repeatedly fainted after identifying the mutilated bodies of his son and daughter. He had three children, Salman being his only son. He is left with one daughter now.

District magistrate Dharmendra Singh said a probe has been ordered to find lapses by the teachers if any.

“The inquiry team will find out if the teachers ignored their duties to help students cross the road,” he said.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar expressed anguish over the death of the children announced release of ₹4 lakh each to the families that lost their children. He also asked health authorities to provide the “best treatment” to the injured.