Six students, aged between 13-17 years, were killed and 28 sustained injuries when a private school bus ferrying them hit a tree and overturned in Haryana’s Mahendragarh district, around 100 km south-west of Delhi.
The police said the incident occurred on Thursday when bus driver Dharmender, driving under the influence of alcohol, tried to overtake another vehicle. He was arrested along with school principal Deepti and secretary Hoshiar Singh.
Soon after the tragic news broke out in the morning amid Id-ul-fitr celebrations, condolence messages poured in from across the country with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing shock and pain over the “heart-rending” news and praying for the quick recovery of the injured. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said he was hurt by the tragedy and assured strict action against the culprits after a probe.
