An 11-year-old student was killed and four others injured in Mumbai on Tuesday after an old roadside peepal tree collapsed on a school bus in the city’s Chembur area, officials said.
The accident occurred when the students were returning home from school on the bus at 2:58 pm near a building on Route 11, news agency PTI reported, citing officials.
Fire brigade personnel and other emergency responders rushed to the scene and rescued all the students, including two who were trapped inside the bus.
The five injured students were taken to hospital. While four of them are now in stable condition, according to officials. 11-year-old Vihaan Srivastava, Who was seriously injured and died during treatment.
The infected students were all in the age group of 4 to 12 years.
Cause of accident
While an accidental death report has been registered, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde has ordered a detailed investigation into the incident.
Todi, along with Deputy Mayor Sanjay Gadi Todi, local MLA Tukaram Kate and other officials, rushed to the accident site, reviewed the situation and warned that strict action would be taken if any negligence was found.
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“This is a very tragic incident. I feel deeply saddened. I also visited the children in the hospital. There were 13 students in the bus, of which 12 were out of danger and one child died. I have met his family… I will get the full details of this matter… I have also spoken to the officials concerned,” she said while talking to ANI.
However, according to a PTI report, the Mumbai Mayor’s Office said it has been informed that pre-monsoon roadside tree pruning in the area has already been carried out.
“The investigation will examine whether recent cement concreting works on the road have affected the stability of the tree and whether any complaints have been received from local residents,” the statement added.
A senior BMC official said that recent drainage work and cement pouring around the site may have weakened the roots of the peepal tree, leading to its collapse.
He added that the civil body will form a committee of experts to determine the exact cause of the accident, and the names of its members will likely be announced soon.
The official, who visited the site and inspected the uprooted tree, said preliminary findings indicate that damage to its roots may have caused it to fall, with recent concrete and drainage work around the tree emerging as possible contributing factors.
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He also said that the tree was pruned before the monsoon as part of the civic body’s annual preparedness drive.
Tawde meets family members
Later, Tawdi visited Zain Hospital where she met the family of the deceased student and expressed her condolences. She also inquired about the condition of the student admitted to the ICU and requested an update from the doctors about the treatment provided.
“Vihan Srivastava’s body has been sent to the civilian-run Rajawadi Hospital for post-mortem,” the statement said.
Among the four injured students, a 10-year-old girl was released from the hospital after receiving treatment. Another four-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy are undergoing treatment, while a 10-year-old boy remains in the intensive care unit.
The statement added, “Doctors said that all four of the injured students who survived were out of danger.”
(With inputs from PTI)
