6 students injured as van hits divider in Lucknow; one critical
Driver taken into custody and a case being registered at Sushant Golf City police station; nine-year-old girl sustains head injury and undergoing treatment in ICU, says DCP
LUCKNOW Six children were injured when a private school van ferrying 12 students overturned after colliding with a road divider near Ahimamau crossing on Shaheed Path around 7:30 am on Friday. The accident took place after one of its tyres burst. Subsequently, an SUV running behind it, also carrying a student, overturned, said police.
The driver of the school van, Raj Bahadur, was taken into custody and a case was being registered at Sushant Golf City police station, said DCP (South) Tej Swaroop. The drivers of both vehicles were unhurt in the accident. The SUV owner was going to drop his child to Jaipuria School. The police removed the van and the SUV from the road using heavy earth moving machinery.
“The van headed to City Montessori School (CMS), Gomti Nagar, had 12 children in it. Of these, six were injured and one is said to be in a critical condition,” he said, adding that four of them were admitted to Lohia Hospital and two to Medanta Hospital.
A nine-year-old girl child, Aradhya Yadav, was in a critical condition as she sustained head injury and was undergoing treatment in ICU while six other injured children were discharged from the hospital after minor treatment, said the DCP. He said the children and driver in the SUV were safe.
Later, district magistrate Surya Pal Gangwar and principal secretary of (home) Sanjay Prasad too reached Lohia Hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured children.
“The chief minister has also taken cognizance of the matter and directed officials to provide the best health facilities,” said Gangwar
According to the statement given by CMS, the van was privately run and did not belong to the school. “Both principals of the branch reached Medanta and Lohia hospitals and enquired about the well-being of the children and assured parents of full support from the school,” said Rishi Khanna, public relations officer, CMS.
Medanta Hospital issued a medical bulletin stating that two children from CMS were brought to the emergency. The condition of one girl was critical she had been kept on ventilator support. Dr Ravi Shankar is treating her in neuro ICU. The second girl has been discharged after primary treatment.
SUV rider Prashant told media persons that he was going to school to drop his son when suddenly the van ahead of his vehicle started going to the side of the road. “In an attempt to save it, my car also broke the railing,” he added.