Speeding school bus overturns in UP, 14 students injured

Fourteen children were injured on Monday when a speeding school bus overturned in Shohratgarh area of Siddharthnagar district here, police said. The incident took place in the morning when the bus carrying 25 children of Saraswati Shishu Mandir lost control and overturned, they said. The injured students were rushed to the hospital where their condition is stated to be stable, police said.

"A case has been registered against the driver, Prem Sagar, under various sections of IPC, including Section 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and Section 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others)," Shohratgarh SHO Ramashish Yadav said.

Efforts are on to trace the absconding driver, he said. Parents of the students admitted in the hospital told reporters that the bus driver was drunk at the time of the incident, and that they had made verbal complaints against him in the past. District Magistrate Deepak Meena said the driver escaped from the scene after the incident.

If it is found after the medical test that Sagar was under the influence of alcohol, certainly requisite action will be taken against him, he said. Meena said the parents never made any complaint against the driver with the district administration, adding if they had submitted a written complaint against the driver in the school, strict action will be taken.

Taking cognisance of the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked the district administration to provide all help to the victims' families.