Hyderabad: In one of the biggest tragedies involving school children, 16 persons, including 14 children, were killed at an unmanned level-crossing near Masaipet of Veldurthi mandal of Medak district in Telangana when a speeding train hit a school bus on Thursday morning.
Witnesses told the police that the driver of the bus was wearing ear phones probably listening to music or talking on his mobile phone — and tried to cross the track while a train was coming, resulting in a side on-collision.
Among the 14 children who died, eight are boys and six are girls, all aged below 12 years. Most of them were Nursery, Lower KG and Upper KG students.
The Nanded-Secunderabad passenger train hit the bus number AP 23 X 5349 carrying 34 children of Kakatiya Techno School of Toopran in the Secun-derabad-Nizamabad railway section. The vehicle was dragged at least 100 metres.
Due to the force of the collision, bodies were thrown out of the bus into the bushes by the side of the track. The bus ended up a bloodstained mangled heap.
Read: Telangana school bus mishap: Driver was on the phone, say witnesses
Schoolbags, books, tiffin boxes and water bottles were scattered on the side of the track and entangled in the wreckage.
Despite the children raising an alarm about the fast-approaching train, the driver failed to stop the bus, said sources. The children stuck in the wreckage were removed by locals.
Thirteen of them died on the spot and the others were shifted to the hospital.
Read: CM K Chandrasekhar Rao’s absence at the accident spot angers locals
At the accident site, 100 metres from the national highway, heart rending scenes were witnessed with inconsolable parents and relatives.
- Bodies were thrown out of the bus into the bushes
- The tragedy occurred at Masaipet village of Telangana’s Medak district
- Hired driver took short cut when accident happened. Both the helper and driver died.
- Mishap took place at 9.10 am. The bus carried 34 students.
