In a shocking accident, 12 children were injured after the driver of their school bus reportedly lost control and rammed into a motorcycle and a stationary lorry at Raagihalli Gate near Bannerghatta on Monday morning. The motorcycle driver was also injured.
The driver was arrested for reckless driving. Police officials said the vehicle was packed with 60 students, which is twice its capacity.
The accident occurred around 7.45 am when the bus, belonging to Ryan International School at Bannerghatta, was taking children to the school.
Driver Thimmaraya (28) lost control as he tried to overtake a two-wheeler. He hit it and then rammed into a stationary lorry.Ten students — Anila (12) Khushi (12), Kanu (5), Gayatri (12), Pranjal (12), Faraz (12), Madhav (12), Pranjul (12), Vidyashri and Sahana — were admitted to a nearby hospital following the accident.
Two more were treated as outpatients. Umesh (18), the two-wheeler driver, was rushed to a private hospital. His condition is said to be stable.
Parents of the injured children approached the police demanding action against the driver and school management for negligence. The parents alleged that school authorities neglected the safety of the children by overcrowding the bus, while the children also complained that Thimmaraya always drove rashly.
A senior official at Bannerghatta police station said that no one from the school came to see what had happened to the children after the accident. “We have arrested Thimmaraya and are investigating,” the official added.