Tumkuru bus mishap: Injured students raise concerns about exams

Apart from the overloading, local residents also informed the police that the bus was being driven in a negligent manner.

Two days after eight students were injured in the private bus accident in Tumkuru district, they raised concerns about their upcoming examinations on Monday.The students who have suffered multiple fractures in the accident are concerned as the Class 10 and pre-university examinations are expected to take place in the coming weeks. “Our preparations were affected by the accident and the subsequent treatment,” said a student, while pleading anonymity. “We have asked the officials who visited us to ask the government to give us concessions with regard to the examinations,” the students told the media.

Five people, including two students, were killed and over 25 were injured after an overloaded private bus overturned on Saturday morning. District superintendent of police Rahul Kumar Shahapurwad said that preliminary inferences show that the bus was overloaded, with passengers sitting on the top of the bus. Apart from the overloading, local residents also informed the police that the bus was being driven in a negligent manner.

The eight students, including two girls are undergoing treatment at Tumakuru district hospital. While the Class 10 examinations are expected to start by the month end, PUC examinations are scheduled for April second week.

“Among the two girls, one suffered a non-displaced fracture and the other fractured her clavicle. Though they are on the mend, it will take them six weeks to recover. The boys have tissue-related injuries,” an official of the Tumkuru district administration said.

He added that even though there were KSRTC buses (the state-owned bus service), no stops were provided for these buses, forcing people to take the private buses. “It was a private bus belonging to SVT Travels. Over 60 passengers travelling in it at the time of accident,” said the police.

Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday had said that directions have been issued to identify buses carrying more than their capacity. “We will cancel the licence of such buses. We have directed officials to increase surveillance on the routes where overcrowded buses are known to operate.”

Meanwhile, the last rites of Amulya and Harshitha, who were killed in the accident, were performed at Potaganahalli village on Sunday. While Amulya died on the spot, Harshitha succumbed to injuries at Victoria Hospital.

Tumkuru police on Sunday had arrested the accused bus driver Raghu. In his confession,the accused said that he lost control of the vehicle after his steering jammed while turning at a sharp curve, said a senior police officer.

Raghu and bus conductor Murali who sustained injuries in the accident had fled the scene and were later tracked down by the investigation team. “The accused were produced before the court which sent them to police custody. We are questioning him to get more details of the accident. Since he had suffered injuries in the accident, we have to give him medical treatment before his entire statement is recorded,” said the senior police officer.