11-yr-old killed, 4 injured as peepal tree falls on school van in Mumbai

According to officials, the incident occurred around 2.58 pm near Road Number 11, close to Heritage Pride, a residential building.

An 11-year-old died and four children sustained injuries on Tuesday when a 70-year-old peepal tree got uprooted and fell on a school van ferrying students in Mumbai’s Chembur on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Civic officials said five students had already alighted at the earlier stop from the yellow van. (HT file/ Representational)

According to officials, the incident occurred around 2.58 pm near Road Number 11, close to Heritage Pride, a residential building.

Civic officials said five students had already alighted at the earlier stop from the yellow van, a Make Force vehicle, leaving 13 children on board when the tree suddenly crashed onto the vehicle. The conductor of the van, assisted by local residents, managed to extricate the trapped children inside the damaged vehicle before emergency personnel reached the scene, they added.

Five of the injured were then moved to Zen Hospital for treatment. Three were in a stable condition and one being treated in the intensive care unit, hospital authorities said adding 11-year-old Vihan Shrivastav succumbed to his injuries at 4.23 pm.

Shankar Bhosale, assistant commissioner of BMC’s M (west) Ward, said the 70-year-old tree, which was pruned in May, “appeared to be in good condition”. “Prima facie, it seems the roots may have decayed, causing it to uproot,” he said.

While BMC officials maintained that the tree had been inspected and trimmed as part of routine maintenance, the exact cause of the collapse will be determined after a detailed inquiry.

The BMC has initiated an investigation into the incident as officials assess whether hidden root decay led to the tree’s sudden fall.