48 students among 54 injured as buses collide head-on in Jagraon

Our Correspondent

Jagraon, May 15

Fifty-four persons, including 48 students and the driver of a school bus, were injured when the vehicle ferrying them collided head-on with a Punjab Roadways bus near Kothey Baggu village in Jagraon on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur highway near here.

Except the school bus driver and 10 students, who suffered major injuries, all others were discharged after providing medical aid at the Civil Hospital, Jagraon.

Panic struck the region after news about the collision of a bus of Sacred Heart Convent School, Jagraon, carrying 48 students with a Punjab Roadways bus (bearing registration no. PB 10 HT 2614) and visuals showing the mangled remains of the school vehicle went viral on social media. All injured persons, including five passengers of the roadways bus, were rushed to the Civil Hospital Jagraon. Those who got major injuries, including the driver of the school bus, were shifted to multispecialty hospitals in Ludhiana. Gurmukh Singh (driver), Vipul Kumar, Ravnoor Singh, Japman, Harpreet Singh and Anurup suffered major injuries.

SDM Gurvir Singh Kohli said the speeding school vehicle had collided with the roadways bus after the driver of the school bus lost control over his vehicle and went slightly on the wrong side. However, the situation was controlled by joint efforts of the administration, police, health authorities and social organisations.

“After getting information, officials, led by tehsildar Manmohan Kaushik, reached the scene and launched a coordinated rescue operation,” said Gurvir Singh Kohli while appreciating that teams of doctors, including SMO Puneet Sidhu, Dr Dheeraj Singla, Dr Akhil Sarin, Dr Sukhdeep Kaur, Dr Sangeena, Dr Manpreet, Dr Deepak and Dr Manisha, had shown exemplary diligence in providing medical aid to students.

Jagraon MLA Saravjit Kaur Manuke also visited the hospital.

Driver of the school vehicle Gurmukh Singh was going to drop students in their villages near Jagraon. When the bus reached Kothey Baggu village on the highway, it collided with the roadways bus. Of the passengers travelling in the bus, only five persons, including a child, suffered injuries while all occupants of the school bus received injuries.

Prompt action saved mishap victims

A timely rescue operation conducted under the supervision of ADC Major Amit Sarin and Jagraon SDM Gurvir Singh Kohli facilitated prompt medical aid to the injured students, a majority of whom were handed over to their parents by the evening.

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