Hyderabad: A day after a train collided with a school bus at an unmanned level crossing in Medak district of Telangana, killing 20 people including 18 students, another school bus had a narrow escape on Friday.
The bus, belonging to Chaitanya Tecno School at Jaggayyapeta in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, carrying 48 children to school in the morning was invoved in a accident when one of its rear wheel came off. Nobody was injured as the bus was not speeding.
The accident, which occurred near Ramachandrunipeta village left the students shocked. The bus was bringing students from nearby village of Khammam and Krishna districts to the school.
Revenue and transport department officials said that they will conduct a thorough probe and take necessary action to ensure that such accidents are prevented.
Meanwhile, the South Central Railway authorities on Friday put up a gate at the unmanned level crossing at Masaipeta village of Medak district where a train had rammed a school bus causing yesterday.
They also cleared the trees and bushes, which were believed to have obstructed the view the driver of school bus as he approached the railway tracks. The railway officials also coloured the barricade and speed breakers to make them visible from a distance.
Tribute
There was a hushed silence in Islampura village where the students hailed from, broken only by the wailing of the bereaved family members.
A large number of people from surrounding areas, including students of various schools visited the accident site today to pay tributes to the victims.
Telagnana deputy Chief Minister and minister for medical and health T Rajaiah on Friday visited the Yashodha hospital to see the injured students. He also spoke to the parents and doctors. “A team of 40 doctors were monitoring the condition of the students round the clock”, the minister said.
Seven students continue to be in critical condition. They remain on ventilators while nine others are in stable condition, he added.
Meanwhile SCR today launched a probe in to the crash and questioned the driver of the train. He told the authorities that the negligence of the bus driver caused the accident. “The train was running at a speed of 90 kilometres per hour and I was sounding the horn continuously much before the level crossing”, he said. “When the train was just 100 meters away, suddenly the bus came on the tracks. I applied the emergency brakes but it was too late”, he said.
The train driver was being treated at Lalaguda Railway Hospital in Secunderabad.
