School bus kills a boy, injures another in Chanakyapuri

NEW DELHI: An 11-year-old boy was killed and another child was critically injured after they were hit by a school bus of a prominent school while its driver was parking the vehicle outside the school in central Delhi’s Chanakyapuri diplomatic area on Friday evening. The accident took place around 5.30 pm at Jose P Rizal Marg.

Eyewitnesses told police the two boys were playing outside the school with other children when the rashly driven bus hit them from its front.

One of the boys, who later died on the accident spot, was reportedly sandwiched between the bus and a wall of the school.

The other boy, who is 10-yearold, suffered multiple fractures and is undergoing treatment at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

A police officer said the bus is owned by a private transporter but was attached with the school on contract basis. The bus ferried school children. “The driver used to park the vehicle outside the school only,” said the officer.

On Friday evening, some children from the nearby Vivekanand Camp slum were playing in the parking area outside the school.

The bus driver and helper returned after dropping school children to their respective homes.

“The driver was parking the bus and the helper was guiding him. During the process, the driver failed to see the two children and hit them with the front portion of the bus. Other children and onlookers screamed and tried to alert the driver. He panicked and the bus hit the school wall, sandwiching one of the boys,” said the officer.

The injured boys were rushed to a nearby hospital where one of them was declared brought dead. The driver was caught on the accident spot.

The boy, who died in the accident, was identified as Rahul Kumar.

He lived with his family in Vivekanand Camp slum. He was a Class 8 student in a government school. His father is a labourer.

The injured boy, Jagdish, too lives in the same slum with his family. He is a Class 6 student in the same government school.

Madhur Verma, deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi), said the bus driver, identified as Resham Pal, 57, was arrested and booked for rash and negligent driving causing death and injury. “We have arrested the bus driver and confiscated the bus,” said Verma.

The helper has also been taken into custody for questioning. “We will take a decision on his arrest only if he is found guilty,” the officer added.