Haryana bus accident: GL Public School's negligence exposed as crash claims 6 lives | 7 major safety chinks

Haryana bus accident: On Eid-ul-Fitr, when the nation was celebrating the end of Ramadan, a bus in Haryana's Mahendragarh crashed into a tree killing six children and injuring 20 more. The police have arrested school principal Deepti, bus driver Dharmender, and a school official named Hoshiar Singh.

However, the fact that a school bus without a valid fitness certificate was ferrying children on Eid-Ul-Fitr, a holiday, raised questions.  

According to police, the bus crashed into a tree, which caused it to overturn, resulting in a fatal accident that claimed the lives of six children. 

The accident occurred near Unhani village in the Kanina area of Haryana at around 8.30 am. The bus was ferrying 40 children- from primary to secondary classes. According to reports, the bus belongs to GL Public School. 

Haryana bus accident: Points that cause concern

-According to an eyewitness account, the GL Public School bus driver, Dharmender, was intoxicated when the incident occurred. 

-The Haryana Police investigating the matter also affirmed that preliminary investigation revealed the driver was allegedly under the influence of alcohol.

-The school being open on the day of Eid also caused concern. State Education Minister Seema Trikha, who visited the injured students at various hospitals, said a show cause notice had been issued to the private school to explain why it was open on the day of Eid.

-The school bus had recently been fined, owing to lack of documents, the police said. State Transport Minister Aseem Goel informed, "We had challaned the bus for ₹15,500 due to a lack of documents; but clearly, a lapse of the school authorities has been found."

-The school bus' fitness certificate expired in 2018. However, the bus was being used to ferry children by GL Public School. 

-Pradeep Kumar, Assistant Secretary of Road and Transport Authority, was suspended as he failed to check vehicles plying on the road without valid documents.

-It has been reported that the parents of students in GL Public School had earlier flagged driver Dharmender's drinking habit to school authorities. Some parents brought it to the school's notice even on Thursday that Dharmender was under the influence of alcohol, officials said.