Batala, May 4
Thirty-two students of Guru Har Rai Public School had a narrow scape here today as the school bus they were travelling in overturned and caught fire after getting trapped in a stubble blaze at Bijliwal village. Two students suffered injuries in the incident as the bus was on its way to drop students home after school.
Punjab Education Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer has directed Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ishfaq to probe the matter.
Ishfaq said he had asked Regional Transport Authority Secretary Sukhwinder Singh Brar to probe the sequence of events leading to the mishap and submit a report within 24 hours. An official said diesel started leaking from the bus, which acted as a catalyst in the vehicle catching fire from stubble. The residents of adjoining villages reached the spot and started a rescue operation.
“High-velocity winds carried stubble fire towards the school bus,” said Harpreet Singh, who was involved in the rescue operation.
The Deputy Commissioner said he had ordered the district Red Cross Society to bear the treatment expenses of the two injured children who were rushed to the Batala Civil Hospital where doctors declared them out of danger.
“Two students, one studying in Class 2 and another in Class 7, were injured in this incident,”said Batala Senior Superintendent of Police Rajpal Singh Sandhu.
Batala: Narrow escape for 32 students as bus catches fire from stubble blaze
{$excerpt:n}
