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4 kids charred to death as school van catches fire
Preliminary inquiry indicates that the van was in condemned condition and was being run illegally as per a report of the district transport officer. police said.
Four students, a boy and three girls, in the age group of 3-6 years were burnt alive when an illegally run, old and ramshackle mini van of a private school caught fire at Longowal village, around 25km from Sangrur, on Saturday afternoon.
The Maruti Omni van was on way to drop 12 students of Simran Public School, Longowal, home when the incident occurred. The school holds classes up to Class 10 and is affiliated to Punjab School Education Board.
Among those dead, three were from an extended family. The victims were identified as Navjot Kaur (3), Simranjit Singh (5), Kamalpreet Kaur (5) and Aradhiya (6), all of Pindi Amar Singh Wala village, Longowal. There was no clarity what triggered the fire.
School owner, driver arrested
Sangrur SSP Sandeep Garg said the owner-cum-principal of the school Lakhwinder Singh and driver Dalvir Singh have been arrested under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC. “Preliminary inquiry indicates that the van was in condemned condition and was being run illegally as per a report of the district transport officer (DTO). If the DTO or any official of his office is found guilty he will be chargesheeted,” said deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori.
As the rear of the vehicle caught fire, eight children were rescued to safety by the driver and a 13-year-old student, Amandeep Kaur, who was also in the van. The families of the rest four had a tough time in identifying the bodies.
Locals, farmers and labourers assembled at the mishap site and raised slogans against state government and school management, demanding arrest of the school owner and driver. They were demanding ₹50-lakh compensation to the family of every victim.
Probe and ex gratia
Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and announced an ex gratia of ₹7.25 lakh to the kin of each victim. It was only after the CM’s announcement that the protest was called off and the families agreed to receive bodies.
Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann, Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Sunam MLA Aman Arora and state education minister Vijay Inder Singla also visted the spot.
“We don’t know whether the school had necessary permissions and clearances. Even the van was purchased recently from a scrap dealer,” said Karnail Singh, a local.
