Bus caught in stubble blaze in Batala was 15 years old

Batala, May 5

The owners of a private school whose bus got trapped in a wheat stubble blaze causing serious burn injuries to children violated the road safety norms by operating a 15-year-old vehicle. They may now face criminal proceedings.

SSP Rajpal Singh Sandhu said initial reports from the office of the Secretary, RTA, indicated the bus started operations in 2006, which makes it more than 15 years old.

One of the school owners, Dr Mandeep Singh, washed his hands of the incident, claiming the management had “outsourced” the vehicle to a private player. Police officers, however, say this doesn’t absolve the management of its responsibility of maintaining the bus in a proper condition.

Two children, aged 5 and 8, who sustained serious burn injuries were today shifted from a paediatric hospital to a multi-specialty one. Dr Anil Marwaha, treating the children, said: “They have 20-25% superficial burnsand recovery will take some days. Things can get complicated if the burns get infected. That is why we are maintaining round the clock observation.”

The SSP confirmed the police had arrested the driver, Jagpreet Singh. He has been booked under Sections 279, 336, 337, 427 and 188 IPC.

Officers say they are unable to comprehend as to why the driver continued to drive the vehicle into the stubble fire smoke. “He got blinded by the smoke and lost control, following which the bus overturned. The leaked diesel from the vehicle acted as a catalyst in the bus catching fire from the nearby blaze,” said Sandhu.

The cops are also rummaging through the revenue records to ascertain the owner of the farmland where the stubble was being burnt. “We are confirming the ownership of the land before registering an FIR,” said Fatehgarh Churian DSP Riputapan Singh.— TNS

2 kids shifted to specialty hospital

Two children, aged 5 and 8, who sustained serious burn injuries, were on Thursday shifted from a paediatric hospital to a multi-specialty one.

Norms violated

The management will have to face the repercussions once the RTA officials submit the final report. The school violated rules by plying an old bus. — A police officer

#stubble burning