Eight primary school students died and another 20 were seriously injured when a private school bus fell into a rivulet from a bridge at Tungaram Peddawagu under Chandrugonda mandal on Tuesday.
Forty students from Class I to III were travelling on the bus. According to sources, six children died on the spot and two others died at Singareni hospital while undergoing treatment. Sources said the bus was being driven by the cleaner as part of his training. The deceased children were identified as G. Nag-esh, M. Navya, G. Mani-kanta, Budida Santosh, R. Soujanya, Mentula Santosh, I. Pradeep and Ajmeera Kondayya.
The 20 injured students are being treated at Singareni and Kotha-gudem government hospitals where their condition is said to be critical. All the children in the ill-fated bus were from Chandrugonda mandal centre and surrounding villages. Sources also said that cattle grazers who were there at the time of accident saved the lives of at least five students.
DEO S. Srinivasa Chary said that the bus was of Dr L.V. Reddy Memorial English Medium School of Vepalagadda under Kothagudem mandal. “We have locked the school as per the district collector’s orders,” the DEO added. The accident took place when the students were being ferried back home. When contacted, Kothagudem DSP Bharat Bhusan said that the bus might have been speeding, which led to the mishap.