BARWANI: A schoolbus, being driven by the cleaner, crashed in Rajpur town of MP’s Barwani district, killing the driver, who was standing at the gate, and injuring at least five children.
The cleaner fled, leaving the children wailing and screaming in the overturned bus. Police are looking for him.
Rajpur sub-divisional police officer Padam Singh Baghel told TOI that 20 students of classes VIII to X from Bhagsur, Sali and nearby villages were in the bus when the driver handed the steering wheel to the cleaner and took his place at the gate.
Baghel said the bus was speeding when the cleaner lost control and it overturned on a curve between Singun and Bhagsur villages, about 30km from Barwani district headquarters.
Driver got crushed under the bus
The driver, Manish Nigwal, was crushed under the toppled bus and died on the spot. An eyewitness, Krishnapal Mangilal, said villagers and passersby rescued the children. They couldn’t lift the bus to reach Nigwal.
The five injured students were sent home after first aid. Barwani SP Deepak Kumar Shukla told TOI that a case has been registered against the cleaner, and police are looking into the bus owner and operator.
Barely 16km away, another schoolbus, carrying 30 children, crashed in Chhapri village in the same district. Thankfully, no one was injured. DSP Kundan Singh Mandloi said the driver lost control due to a pothole. A tractor was used to pull the bus back on the road.
