Mumbai School Bus Tragedy Figures in Maharashtra Assembly; Members Slam BMC

Shiv Sena members Tukaram Kate and Murji Patel attacked the BMC over the death of 11-year-old Vihan Srivastava in the city’s Chembur area on Tuesday.

Kate, who represents Chembur, said this is not the first time such an accident has happened in his constituency. “I have been repeatedly calling the civic officials to take precautionary measures, but in vain,” he said.

Patel demanded that the government take steps to help the boy’s family and the injured victims. He said Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is extending financial assistance of Rs 2.5 lakh to the child’s family.

Referring to a tree collapse incident in the Marol locality in the western suburb of Andheri, he demanded that a tree survey be conducted immediately to find a solution to such problems.

Congress MLA Nana Patole also raised the issue and asked the government to make a statement on it.

A routine trip home from school turned fatal for Vihan when an old roadside peepal tree fell on his school bus in Chembur on Tuesday, leaving four other students, including a four-year-old girl, injured, officials said.

The incident occurred at 2:58 pm near a building on Road No. 11 when the bus was ferrying 13 students of Universal High School to their homes, they said.

Fire Brigade and other agencies rushed to the spot, and evacuated all students, including the two who remained trapped in the school bus. The bus driver, conductor, and local residents also joined them.

The five injured students, all in the age group of 4 to 12 years, were rushed to a nearby private hospital.

According to the hospital’s medical officer, Vihan, who had sustained serious injuries, succumbed to injuries during treatment, while four other injured students are in stable condition.