Overloaded bus overturns on bad road, 46 students among 49 hurt

Panchkula: As many as 49 persons, mostly school students, were injured in an accident as a city bus of Haryana Roadways overturned on a poor stretch of a road at Naulta village in Pinjore on Monday morning. One pedestrian too was seriously injured in the accident.
The bus, which was overloaded, was allegedly overspeeding too when it went out of control while navigating a turn.The bus was carrying 70 passengers, out of which mostly were schoolchildren. Police officials said around 8am, they got information about a Haryana Roadways bus under the city bus service overturning at a turn in a hilly area of Naulta village in Pinjore. A team of cops rushed to the spot and ambulances were called. The injured were taken to a government polyclinic in Pinjore from where many were referred to the Sector 6 civil hospital.

Chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Mukta Kumar said, “A total of 46 students and three adults were brought to the polyclinic in Pinjore, out of which 22 were referred to the civil hospital. A 60-year-old woman who was walking on the road was injured when she was hit by the out-of-control bus. Her right arm got crushed under the vehicle. The woman has been referred to the PGI Chandigarh, considering her serious injuries.”
“Besides, three students, including a girl, were seriously injured. The girl, who received compression in her spinal cord, is currently admitted to the ICU. Another student had bleeding from the nose due to a cut and the third one sustained internal injuries in liver. Rest all received minor injuries and are stable at the moment,” she added.
As per the information, students of a senior secondary school and ITI, besides local residents, use this bus everyday. The bus was coming from Kalka and going to Pinjore. Haryana assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta, Kalka MLA Pradeep Chaudhary, Panchkula deputy commissioner Dr Yash Garg, former Kalka MLA Latika Sharma and AAP district president Ranjit Uppal visited the hospital to check the health status of the injured. Garg said, “We have reports of around 50 persons injured in the incident. Police are investigating the matter to identify the reasons behind the incident. Based on the report, strict action will be taken.”