Twelve schoolchildren and the driver of a bus in which they were travelling were killed on Monday morning when their vehicle collided with a truck near Jalandhar.
Seven students were killed instantaneuosly. The others died on way to hospital.
Eight students were injured and three of them are said to be in a critical condition. All the deceased students belonged to the age group of 8-12 years. The bus was carrying 24 students.
The impact of the collision was such that the roof of the school bus was torn apart as the bus turned into a mangled piece of metal. School bags, tiffin boxes lay scattered on the road along with the bodies of children soaked in blood.
A case of rash and negligent driving was registered against the truck driver, who fled the spot.
The accident occurred at 8 am on Monday. The bus belonging to Akal Academy was carrying students from adjoining villages. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Deputy Sukhbir Badal expressed shock over the tragedy. The chief minister has announced Rs 2 lakh as ex gratia payment for the families of the deceased children.
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