School bus with 50 kids topples into fields, 9-year-old sustains head injuries, others minor bruises

Nine-year-old boy sustains head injuries as private school bus carrying 50 children falls off road in Greater Noida; driver flees scene. Videos circulated on social media.

A nine-year-old boy sustained head injuries and others escaped with bruises after a private school bus carrying 50 children ran off the single-lane road in Greater Noida’s Rabupura locality and fell onto the agricultural fields on Wednesday afternoon, senior police officers said, adding that the bus driver abandoned the children and the vehicle at the spot and fled the scene.

The driver lost control of the vehicle and it ran off the single-lane road in Greater Noida’s Rabupura locality and fell into the agricultural fields on Wednesday afternoon. (HT Photo)

Multiple videos of the incident were widely shared on social media on Wednesday and they showed a school bus lying in the fields while locals worked on rescuing the children. A few children, including girls, were seen crying. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of these videos.

Greater Noida police said all children escaped with bruises, except for a nine-year-old boy who sustained head injuries.

“The injured child is a resident of Rabupura. He sustained head injuries but is said to be out of danger,” said Sarthak Sengar, assistant commissioner of police, Greater Noida.

“On Wednesday around 12.30pm, the private school bus, carrying 50 children and a woman teacher, was heading towards Karauli Bangar village from Falaida village in Rabupura, Greater Noida, to drop children home when the left wheel of the bus ran off the single-lane road and the bus toppled onto the fields,” said Senghar.

He said due to the wet mud, the driver lost control of the bus and it toppled on to the fields on the left. “Locals who heard the loud noise and children’s cries, rushed to the spot and alerted the police,” said Senghar.

“We received information from locals and rushed to the spot and rescued the children and teacher with the help of villagers after breaking the bus windows,” said Jouhar Singh, sub-inspector, Rabupura police station.

The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, where the nine-year-old boy was admitted for treatment. He is stable, said police.

“Later, parents were alerted. A few children sustained bruises,” said Singh.

Subsequently, police called in a hydraulic crane and towed away the bus to Rabupura police station. No case has been registered in the matter as no complaint has been received yet, said police.

The ACP said, “We will send a notice to the school urging them to ensure that bus drivers drive slowly and carefully during the rainy season. The school must sensitise drivers to ensure the safety of children.”

On July 15, a private school bus rammed into a railing of the elevated road in Noida after its steering wheel allegedly developed a snag. There were no injuries or casualties in the incident, said police.