16 children injured as school van catches fire in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi

Police said the incident took place when the van was on way to a private school in Nathaipur with children from different villages.

Sixteen children were injured, three of them critically, when a school van caught fire after its gas cylinder exploded in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi district on Saturday morning, police said.

16 children were injured when their school van caught fire as they were on their way to school in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi district on Saturday (Representative Photo) (HT Photo)

The incident occurred at Nathaipur village in Gyanpur police station area when the van was on way to a private school there with children from different villages.

Circle officer, Gyanpur, Yadavendra Yadav said, “A total of 16 children were injured. All the children were taken to the district hospital where they were given treatment. Later, 14 children were referred to the trauma centre at Banaras Hindu University. A team has been constituted to arrest of the driver who fled after the incident.”

Police said they were investigating reports that the van operator was using cooking gas as fuel for the vehicle. A case would be registered once a complaint was received, they added.