Fog triggers head-on collision between school buses in Kharar; children injured

Two school bus drivers and several students sustained minor injuries after two school buses collided head-on in Kharar on Thursday morning amid dense fog. The injured were administered first aid at the scene, while panic briefly gripped the area before passersby rushed to assist.

The buses belonged to Delhi Public School and St. Ezra International School.

Eyewitnesses reported that both buses were severely damaged in the accident. The Tricity region has been experiencing dense fog during early mornings and late evenings over the past two days. The Meteorological Department has predicted similar conditions in the coming days. In response to the intense cold, the Punjab government has announced the closure of schools towards the end of December.

As in previous years, December has witnessed a spate of road accidents caused by poor visibility due to fog. Despite these recurring incidents, the government is yet to take concrete preventive measures. In earlier accidents, several teachers lost their lives on the Fazilka–Jalalabad road. More recently, a school teacher couple died when their car skidded off the road and plunged into a canal near Sangatpura village in Moga district due to dense fog.

In another incident in the Abohar area, dozens of students narrowly escaped injury when a school van collided with a bus between Panjawa and Tootwala. Social organisations have expressed concern over the rising number of such accidents and the lack of adequate response.

Non-governmental organisations had urged the government to revise school and college timings from 9 am to 10 am to reduce travel during peak fog hours. However, instead of changing timings, the government chose to merge the pre-scheduled Christmas holidays with the winter break.

According to sources, long-distance buses continue to depart as early as 6 am, when fog is at its densest, and return late at night when visibility remains poor. Teachers often reach home well past midnight after dropping students in their villages. Social service groups allege that the government’s focus on programmes like “Shiksha Kranti” has come at the cost of public safety.