Children in Bihar's Begusarai were hanging between life and death, early in the morning of October 1 — when a school bus carrying 38 students fell into a pit filled with water. All students have been reported to have been saved alive. In a video that surfaced online, the bus is seen to have been underwater with only its roof visible.
Thankfully, several locals helped with the rescue operations. The accident took place at the Pokharia village in the district at around 8 am. The district administration used a crane to pull out the bus from the pit. The bus belongs to the Gurukul Public School, Ballia, located near NH-31. Eyewitnesses said that the speed of the bus was high. When it reached Pokharia, the vehicle overturned after the driver lost control.
Due to the heavy rainfall caused by cyclonic storm Gulab, the pit was overflowing with water. The villagers said the bus was completely submerged in the water and everything could have turned into a major disaster if the local residents hadn't rushed in. "We managed to rescue every pupil from the bus before it was completely submerged into the water. The children are in the age group of 4-15 and have been given preliminary treatment. Local villagers played a very important role in the rescue operation," said SD Singh, Sub-Inspector of the Ballia Police Station.
He added, "We have registered an FIR under rash and negligent driving against the errant driver of the school bus. He will be arrested soon."
With inputs from PTI
Edited by Eshan Kalyanikar
